This week in Noticing Nature

Okay, it’s actually 10 days of observations.

This is my entry for The F.I.G. Collective this week.

Thursday: as I lay awake at 3 AM, ruminating about my upcoming attempt, later that day, to speak to the Senator’s aide in person, I heard the freezing rain falling on the roof.  

Friday: It was getting dark as I went out to get the mail.  I was still in time to see the fading sunset, peach and blue and gray, and also an early star/planet.  I turned around and saw the half-moon behind the fractal bare branches of our oak tree.  So beautiful.

Saturday:  Some of the fractal bare branches are down on our yard.  Still.  I’m not going out to pick them up until spring.

Sunday:  It was snowing (just flurries) this morning when I set off for church.  By the time we were done with Souperbowl + Bakesale, it was still flurrying but nothing was sticking to the roadway.  Which made the trip home okay.

Monday:  We have an oak tree that doesn’t drop all its leaves in the fall – they stay on the tree, shriveled up.  Today I noticed that in the breeze they make a sort of clattering sound.  Like dry bones getting ready to come to life.  However, I did not prophesy to the dry leaves.

Tuesday:  When I pulled the car out of the garage to go to the store to pick up meds for the Common Household Husband, I particularly noticed the frozen ground where I have to step out of the car to close the garage door.  It’s a spot that would be muddy if the temperature is above freezing.  I appreciated the firm ground to walk on.

And no, we do not have an automated garage door closing mechanism.  It’s people power all the way.  When it becomes impossible for me to open and close the garage door, it’s time to move.

Wednesday:  There was lots of rain today.

Thursday:  As I headed outdoors to meet friends, it was flurrying. The snow on the ground looked like little pellets.  But probably not big and threatening enough to be graupel.

Friday:  Valentine’s Day.  It’s 23 degrees F; feels like 15 with the windchill.  I am heading out soon to be a gadfly outside my US Senator’s office.  He and Presidents M & P are ruining the future.

A Valentine for the Senator.
(not my sign)

Saturday:  We woke up to a surprise snowstorm.  I like to think that this is appropriate - it is supposed to snow in February.  It will likely turn to gobs of rain later, which must be why there is a flood watch.  Nature is fun to observe, eh?

Here are three times on this blog when the weather was more challenging than today, and for that we are thankful:

A Prayer

https://commonhousehold.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-lords-prayer-for-snowy-day.html

Back when we used to get a print newspaper:

https://commonhousehold.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-winter-of-my-discontent.html

Snow Physics

https://commonhousehold.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-snow-physics.html