The weather lords did not come through last night. The forecast several inches of snow and/or freezing rain became just that one snow squall at dinner and then a very light mist of sorts that produces ice on the windshield that melted if you breathed upon it. And down the hill there was less.
I guess we're going to dodge a bullet from tonight's storm, too. The brunt of the storm will be to our east where the TV weatherman says there might be up to a foot of snow in Delhi, New York. (That's west-northwest of the Catskills on State Route 10.) It looks like we'll get nothing but lots of fog, some freezing mist, and--perhaps--an inch or so of snow.
At the moment it's 34 degrees and raining lightly here at the Aerie.
Unfortunately, while we may dodge this bullet, ole Ma Nature has another in the chamber and we may not get so lucky later in the week. The hype is in full swing about a "hurricane of a snow storm" that may hit on Thursday night into Friday. They're not sure where exactly, but they say that it will be one to remember with winds gusting up to 74 mph and snow falling at the rate of 1-2 inches an hour.
This particular nightmare isn't even on the maps yet. It may draw some of it's energy from a storm still down in northeast Texas or perhaps it will siphon energy from the ocean since it will slam into the coast somewhere between Cape May, New Jersey and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The wraparound winds will bring very cold air down from Canada--again.
The warning is out for areas as far south as the I-80 corridor here in central PA. The TV guy says this is the first major snow storm we will have this year in this area ad that we should expect snow amounts in the 8 to 10 inch range. AccuHunch is saying 12 inches are possible. Weather.com is just saying "Look out!" Unlike yesterday when all the forecasts fizzled, today they all agree as to time, place and (almost) amounts.
(And if anyone says, "Sound like the science is settled," I will have to get medieval on your heiney.)
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The forecast is frightening enough that Terry has decided to head for New Jersey early for her SAGA classes she's scheduled to take withe the Princeton Pleaters chapter. She called her Mom today and told her to expect company tomorrow afternoon. It was raining like the dicken's in NJ, Mom said. Almost all the snow on the grass has melted away with only the piles of snow shoveled, plowed or blown still present. They may get several inches (up to 8, Mom said) from the snow storm Thursday afternoon into Friday morning.
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The bird and squirrel activity at the feeders has been truly amazing the last day or two. Each morning we've had 8 to 10 gray squirrels gathering at the feeders to fill their stomachs with sunflower seeds. They stay until around 10 AM and then disappear back into the woods and their insulated nests.
The birds have also been mobbing the feeders but they'll be coming and going all day long. In one 15 minute period around 11 AM yesterday I watched 8 or 9 species come to the feeders on the deck while two or three additional species were present at the yard feeders.
It's not just one or two individuals of each species either. Two or three DOZEN each of chickadees, mourning doves, and goldfinches can be seen working the seed at one time. Half a dozen blue jays may sweep in en masse as will the same number of juncoes. Three or four white-breasted nuthatches and tufted titmice will hit the deck at a time. Two or three downy woodpeckers, cardinals, and hairy woodpeckers add to the mix.
Watching all the activity can tire you out.
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I got to the dentist's today. Exam, X-rays, and a cleaning were done in two hours. Unfortunately, the X-rays and exam showed two top molars (one on each side) that will have to come out. This goes back to the loss of the molars on the bottom. The tops, having nothing to push them back, have been erupting and this exposes the lower part of the tooth. It also forms larger gaps at the gum line and pinches the crowns of the teeth together. Decay has occurred in those larger gaps and--so says the X-rays--it's gone to the core of the tooth.
It's my own damn fault for not being a good flosser. *sigh*
So, I'll be going back next week to get one of the molars pulled and the week after to get a filling repaired and the other molar pulled. I could have had them both out on the same time but that would have left me with a diet of soup and/or malts for a day or two as I wouldn't have a side to chew on. The dentist who will do the extraction agree. (Now that I've written the word "malts" above, maybe I should rethink this. I've got a bottle or two of single malts that would act as both pain killer and disinfectant.)
2 comments:
A great post today, sir - I'm guessing the dentist visit put you in the feisty, "all medieval" mood ... I liked it.
It was the lack of morning coffee (8 AM appointment) that did it. That and the forecast of snow, snow and more snow for the next week and a half.
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