Two days ago I was waiting for spring. Today I'm waiting for a last kick in the ass from winter.
On Thursday (two days ago) the storm clouds finally parted, the sun appeared, and the temperature soared to 70 degrees (that's Fahrenheit, for those of you in North Korea). It was one of those rare glorious days that makes you want to drop everything and crawl out of your hibernation hole.
I dropped and crawled - - and basked in the warm sun like a lizard. The warmth was a sure promise of spring and I felt rejuvenated and almost human again.
Some of the trees at the edge of the forest were actually starting to bloom with delicate colors.
I should have known that bliss doesn't last long. Another horrendous storm ravaged Tennessee on Thursday night. By Friday the temperature was dropping rapidly. Today (which let's all assume is Saturday) it is bone-chillingly frigid....and snow is expected tonight.
Snow. With spring only a week away.
So:
After shaking my fist and cursing at the Weather Gods
I put the extra blankets back on the bed,
made some homemade potato soup,
lamented at the fact that the blossoms are dead,
and now I'm waiting for an extremely cold night (it's presently late afternoon).
While I'm sitting here with nothing to do but listen to my teeth chatter, I'll dump some photos on you.
Hopefully you're not completely overwhelmed from the excitement. Few people get the privilege of seeing the view from my bedroom window....
The first photo on this post was also taken this morning.
Okay - you knew you wouldn't get away from here without seeing my cats.....
(I suppose it's technically a chest of drawers - not a dresser. I'm in an Edwardian mode...)
I took this pic of Scratch and Scruffy relaxing together a few days ago.
(I generally don't like to leave cat food on the floor, but with three demanding felines I gotta take liberties now & then).
I'm almost done. Wanna see my angel calendar? It's one of the few things the movers didn't lose...or steal.
I'm not really "into" angels - - I'm more of a devil connoisseur.....but what the hell....
I had this calendar a long time. I'm trying to find a place to put it where the cats won't get it.
Scratch never touches anything. But Scruffy and Bosco will rip it to shreds and sell the angel's wings for scrap....
Holy crap - this was a long post.
Wake me when it's spring.
Funny I don't see any horned one on the calendar. I figured there'd be at least a couple. Weather wise it's the same here. It was warm, not that we had much of one, but now it has gotten cold again, with snow squalls laying a inch Friday. A huge nor'easter is suppose to hit us Tuesday, with the promise of 12". Nothing I can't handle!!!!! I say to you grab the cats and get in bed with a cat pile and keep warm.
ReplyDeleteThere are many enjoyable ways to keep warm during the winter - and I had no doubt you could handle twelve inches....
DeleteI'm going into hibernation mode too. Expecting a half a foot of snow on Monday. WINTER should have exited, I agree with you. God forbid did the groundhog get it right?
ReplyDeleteThis Arctic blast has been an unwanted visitor for too long. I feel completely unmotivated in cold weather - all I want to do is sleep. Punxsutawney Phil was right on target this year.
DeleteThe picture of Scruffy is so beautiful and not to leave out the rest of your feline family, they are cute too. We haven't had but one real cold spell this winter and it didn't last but one or two nights. Guess we'll have lots of bugs this summer. we've been in a rainy spell the last few days and our yards appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteScruffy was so sick and scrawny when she was a kitten. I'm delightfully surprised at how well she's doing now.
DeleteGlad to hear that Texas is getting some much-appreciated rain.
Unfortunately, there's an over-abundance of rain in my neck of the woods!
Jon, I delight in this post. Scruffy might have been painted by the same artist who did the landscape behind --distinctive quasi-impressionist brush strokes. And Scratch is visibly determined not to let go of those sunbeams lest they slide away --even at the cost of her food! Wonderful photos all.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how cats are instinctively attracted to any patch of sunlight that they see.
ReplyDeleteScruffy definitely appears to be covered with quasi-impressionistic brush strokes. Her mother was a full-fledged calico and Scruffy wears distinct splashes of her heritage.
Beautiful photos and scenery. I would be very happy there. Your windows are very clean!
ReplyDeleteActually my windows are kinda dirty - - but I don't plan on cleaning them until the weather warms up.
DeleteI never get tired of looking at the scenery. I love the change of seasons (even though winter is a piss...).
Love seeing your trio of felines! Sunrises and sunsets are gorgeous there. Apparently we are expecting snow today, too. At 16 degrees it seems too cold to snow, but it says 80% chance and the radar is showing blue-blue-blue. Good day for snuggling under blankets. ;)
ReplyDeleteCats are such great company (although THREE at once admittedly makes me frazzled at times...). I was so very sorry to hear about Karma - I always enjoyed seeing her photos. Hopefully another feline companion will brighten your life soon....
DeleteFortunately we didn't get any snow as predicted - only flurries - BUT there is another possibility of snow in a few days.
Rita, if you read this - I'm curious to know how old Karma was. One of my friends had a cat that lived to be twenty-two!
DeleteShe would have been 12 years old February 5th--just a couple weeks later. She was old but not that old. Did have arthritis, though, already. Then McFamily's cat Sammy was only eight. You never know.
DeleteThere's no messy eating with Scruffy. It's all clean around the dishes. I've never had a cat, so really no clue. Your pictures are always enjoyable. I hope things warm up down your way. Just today the temps went into double digits - which isn't really a good thing because there are mountains of frozen snow everywhere. Quick melts cause flooding. I predict bailing water in my days ahead.
ReplyDeleteBy the way - that's an interesting calendar. I quite like it !
Wow, I truly hope you won't be bailing water! Fortunately the temperature warmed up a little and we only got flurries - - but there's another chance of snow by Wednesday.
DeleteI like the calendar because it's quite colorful. The only annoying thing is that the numbers are on little individual wooden squares and I have to change them every month.
Wow. I had to do a double-take on Scruffy's image against the alpine. LOVE!
ReplyDeleteYou know, I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat for some of that cold weather. Even with the fan going, I struggled to sleep last night; little doubt, I'll have to break down and turn on the a/c soon.
I've never seen anything like your angel calendar before ... but I like it. A lot!
When it comes to heat - I can feel your pain. I remember when I first moved to San Angelo, TX and it was 100 degrees on Halloween. I definitely prefer to experience a change of seasons.
DeleteMy Mom always hated the heat. My parents lived in Phoenix for awhile before I was born, and my mother despised it. My father always said that he loved hot weather - but he was always the first one to turn on the air conditioner....
Sounds as if the weather just can't make up its mind. But snow in mid March is not good. The mountain, or hill, has a wonderful glow, though.
ReplyDeleteThis is the coldest March I can remember. We didn't get any substantial snow - but today there are flurries and plenty of ice.
DeleteJon,
ReplyDeleteWow! It's cold here too in southern Delaware. Winter's last blast. I would love to go out for a walk on this sunny day but the cold is actually painful. So I stay inside these warm walls.
I love your posts of photos around your mountain home and your cats relaxing in their safe and comfortable (and loving) home. Soon spring will descend upon the land and the bugs will be out in full force. Love the change of seasons. But they seem to come by faster each year.
Ron
You're certainly right about the seasons coming faster every year, Ron. Lately they seem to fly by. Remember when we were kids and summers seemed forever?
DeleteThe only great thing about the cold weather is that it keeps the bugs away.
Hope you're feeling better!!!
Jon,
ReplyDeleteWe were deceived by February, which ended with temps in the 60s. March did come in like a lion and Spring is now yet to be sprung. I got the kind in the quickly freezing handcarts this just ending week. We awoke to snow and freezing rain Tuesday morning, and after it seemed to have grown calm, puff, at 10:00 Am we lost our power and it stayed lost all the way through until Thursday night. It was extremely cold in the house. I hope it was winter's last hoorah, but they are calling for snow tonight (Saturday).
Larry
We were indeed deceived by February. When that month ended I was certain that spring was here. March turned into a monster of a month. I'm sorry to hear that you lost your power - especially during such dangerously frigid weather.
Delete