And So It Begins

I awoke early this morning to the sound of rain falling.  Earlier the night before the weather men assured us that it would be a dry morning and that the majority of the storm to come would not be here until noon today... As usual they were wrong.  It was barely light outside yet as I glanced out the back door the porch appeared to be only wet.  As I made the morning coffee I could hear the rain continue.  The picture to the left is  only the beginning of what I know is to come as the day continues.  Even since I took the picture the ice has accumulated more.   Already there are reports of loss of power.  The rain is to continue throughout the day, not turning to sleet or snow until after dark.  For any of you who have encountered an ice storm, you know what this means.... There is a very good possibility for significant ice accumulation.  It will be a true miracle if we don't lose our power.  It is just a question of when it will happen and how long it will remain out.  Last storm like this it was a total of 4 days.  However this was nothing compared to others who were without power for close to 2 weeks.  Yet enough about this..... We will deal with it as it comes and with whatever it decides to give to us.  As we all know there is no stopping Mother Nature when she wants to do something. 

In some ways I am sort of eager for the cold and ice.  Strange isn't it.  I say this because I know that next week is Imbolc, the turning point of winter.  A day of welcoming the sun back and saying goodbye to the cold clutches of winter.  Although I know that winter can still take hold even after February 2nd, especially here in Oklahoma, I can not help but feel that it is symbolic of the beginning of the end.  One last hurrah...

Yesterday was a beautiful spring like day.  Temperatures in the mid 60s, fluffy white clouds with hues of grey and the brillant blue sky.  It was a day that you could not help but be outdoors doing something just so that you could enjoy it.  What a contrast from the weather we have today.  Cold blusterly winds, freezing rain, ice coating everything and anything that it lands on.  I told Vincent, it was likened to the day before giving birth.... You have all this energy and feel wonderful, then labor begins and hard stuff begins.... It was a blessing however, as it allowed so many, including ourselves to prepare for what was to come.

It seemed as if everything was active yesterday.

The birds yesterday played throughout the yard and trees yesterday as if themselves enjoying the warmth, knowing that today would not be as nice. Even the honey bees were out yesterday trying to eat from my bird feeders.  I knew that the weather to come would be bad as they were busily trying to eat anything they could to prepare.

Today  the birds  huddled around the bird feeders at first light,  scurrying to eat all they could before the frozen ice covered their access to their nourishment.   I always keep an bucket of seed in the house at times like these.  I am sure to toss some out occasionally across the back porch so that they will have something when the weather is inclement.  The wind blows them sliding across the wood as they try to eat the seeds that land near them.  They often huddled on the south side of the porch just under the window to where I write.  I am sure they will be there again today as the weather continues.

Although there is sorrow in the weather to come as I know that there will be trees that will suffer because of the weight of the ice they will bear.  I also know that it is  a time of cleansing.  When last our willows endured such a storm, I was heartbroken at the devastation they encountered.  From tall standing stately trees, that swayed so softly in the breeze, they were reduced to heavy laden trees whose arms now hung to the ground.  Some could not take the strain and gave in to the pain.  Others remained strong and as the ice melted rose once more to their stature.... This event however enabled us to take the weaker parts from the trees which in turn made them stronger.  I know that we will more than likely still lose some this time also, yet I am hopeful that they will not be as burdened as before.

As before I stated that there are others that this storm will effect, as this runs from New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and beyond... Some will get rain, some snow, others ice... To all of you, stay warm yet above all stay safe... blessings