Sunday 25 December 2022

Vegetation Management Crew & storms!

It's a Christmas Miracle! We have power! It was flickering Saturday morning. The wind was howling outside. We are hunkered down. There are power outages all around us. Mysteriously, we still have lights. I cranked up the furnace at 6 a.m., and I've a fire ready to light, just in case. 

cardinals in the storm from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

There was 24 mm rain Dec. 23 (1"), followed by a freeze, and more snow the 24th. It's not just snowing, it's a blizzard, with horrible winds. People are stranded in all sorts of locations. People have been on a train from Ottawa to Toronto for 12 hours, radio peeps are interviewing them as they run out of food and the toilets aren't working. It's just a mess. I cannot complain, snug as a bug here.

These are the Ontario Hydro outages. Quebec is even worse, with 357,000 people without power.

 

I heard a spokeswoman talking about the B.C. storm and deep freeze. She said that they are fully prepared and their Vegetation Management Crews are ready to go! That's what I've been doing for days! I have a title! B.C. has it bad, too. 

The deer have begun to gather. We had eight Thursday morning. We seem to have a winter yard.


There were lots of branches under the pines. I decided to clean them up.

I ran of of energy, both me and my reciprocating saw. I moved the branches aside to be cut up later!

 When we had snowman snow, I could have made one, but felt too tired after shoveling. Since I pulled all the branches down, I felt I had to mark the occasion. Do you know how easy it is to make one? The trick, however, is getting back up without wrecking it! 


Dec. 23 – The temperatures, in Celsius, dropped like a stone. Bombogenesis was here, the jet stream pulling down cold Arctic air. It is still snowing, Dec. 25th. I didn't venture outside at all, other than the deck. 



It is awful everywhere, right across Canada, as well as the US. Someone sat 18 hours on a VIA Rail train trying to get from Ottawa to Toronto. A tree fell on a train, you see. And there is a derailed freight train west of Kingston. That held things up. Flights are cancelled across the continent. This is why.

The train corridor from Quebec City to Windsor is a mess. The media are finding all sorts of people crying, and upset, to feature on TV news. It was pretty sad, but there had to be some clever people who cancelled plans to remain safe and not stress out crews trying to mitigate the damage. Police, fire, ambulance, as well as those clearing and cleaning up the damage, like Hydro crews, are working hard. Bless their hearts.

Dec. 24th, I woke to blowing snow. Baby bear was blown to the ground, and the lovely baskets, purchased at an auction, blown across the bench, the red one on the floor. I've left them there, as the wind is wicked. 


snowfall & wind from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


I ventured on the back deck, and shoveled.  We're up to 33 cm (13") there, but that isn't an accurate measure of snow fall. The winds have whipped the snow everywhere. 

Just one more branch down the 24th.

I worked so hard getting rid of the slush. It paid off, as the snow didn't stick. It is accumulating from the merciless wind.


I kept on bird watching from my chair. It was amazing seeing three male and one female cardinal. They were bullying the others away from the feeder, greedy lads. That was some fine entertainment. Today, I MUST refill the feeders!





Yesterday afternoon, I made a fire, as power was a bit worrisome. JB and the cats watched football there in the basement, while I enjoyed a couple of Christmas RomComs upstairs with my wine. Nutmeg plunked herself right in front of the fire. A happy trio. 

Cinnamon looks forlornly out at the blowing snow. I haven't shoveled, so he can't even sit on the deck. 
We shall keep hunkered down. JB is fighting a cold. Season's greetings to one and all. 

18 comments:

Tom said...

....this has been a windy Christmas here too. Take care and stay well.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Blessings and Love to you and JB and the kitties!!! I have my eyes on a pair of Goldfinches even as I type - not quite as bright and cheerful as your Cardinals, but they'll do. Keep well, keep warm and keep on keeping on! YAM xx

Olga said...

Oh, my It sure does look like Christmas land there!

Nancy J said...

I am SO thankful you are safe. The trains that are stopped, I did hear one person, not sure who but someone high up in power, say " This is unacceptable" What did they think the train drivers could do in this atrocious ferocious storm?????And if you travel when roads are closed, why?Hunker down, we are already into Boxing Day here, early a.m. Christmas Day was quiet, Facetime and Messenger calls, the videos are a blessing when family cannot be here.XXX to you both and to Cinnamon and Nutmeg, not to forget Oregano, if he ventures out at all.

RedPat said...

Merry Christmas to you both!

Barbara Rogers said...

Wishes for a merry Christmas seem a bit strange, how about wishes for peace and calm and everyone reaching their destinations! Glad to see the cardinals.

William Kendall said...

What a storm it was.

Divers and Sundry said...

So glad to hear you have power! That makes such a big difference.

Merry Christmas!

Elephant's Child said...

I am so glad that you retained power and feel for those who did not.
Love the cardinals - a delightful splash of colour in what is to me a very alien scene.
The very best of the Season to you and to yours.

Gaelyn said...

Way more than you needed for a white Christmas. So glad you are safe and warm. Love to see the brilliant Cardinals. Merry Christmas! (Almost 80°.)

Elizabeth Edwards said...

aren't the cardinal beautiful. so lovely. great views. Merry Christmas to you and yours. had a nice day with family. hope you did as well. i can't believe it is over and done. i did a great portion of the meal for lunch today. i am trying these days to help my mom out ...more than i did when i was younger. i enjoy it. but i understand the time it does take more than ever. glad for no power loss here. but we know it did a bunch of flicking. take care. ( ;

Gill - That British Woman said...

we lucked out this time round with only a little snow, though windy. I love the photos of the cardinal's.

Red said...

You have a terrible situation. It's dangerous and many people have no brains and go out in this. Keep safe and warm.

The Furry Gnome said...

'Bombogenesis', that's a new one on me. We had a minor miracle here because we never did lose power. Nice cardinals.

Kathy G said...

Merry Christmas,

DrumMajor said...

Sounds like a mess up there! Glad you and the indoor and outdoor critters are ok. The birds are beautiful in the snow. It's just been too cold in K.C. with temps and wind chills both below zeros, as in -27 wind chill on Friday. It warmed up to 17 today, with wind chill at 7, but started sleeting. I was able to leave work early to beat the sleet home. Looks like your trees recovered from the bendies. Stay warm! Linda in Kansas

Anvilcloud said...

it was horrid for many, but you did okay, and we did too.

Jeanie said...

You got it way worse than us. I'm glad you did OK and hope by now JB's cold has passed.