A Gentle Reminder from Mother Nature

 

View out my office window this morning!

Mother Nature is giving us a wee reminder of what Winter will be like here in northern Minnesota, so we’ll have time to prepare before the cold and seriously snowy months roll around later this year. 

We are on the waiting list for a detached garage.  There was one available when we reserved our townhome, but we didn’t take it.  We still had the truck (which was too big for the garage), we weren’t sure of our expenses, and so on. Hindsight is a lovely, precise 20/20, eh?  Wishing now I had included it.  Not only for the car, but for the bikes and other “garage” stuff that we have stashed away inside here.  We’re 3rd on the waiting list and hoping we’ll have the car snug inside before Winter kicks in.

Our vehicle was always garaged when we lived in Hibbing, MN 10 years ago.  If we don’t get a garage, I’ll need to study up again on the best ways for de-icing the car doors, windows, etc.  We had to do this in New Jersey, so it will just be a matter of refreshing the memory … and skills.  Hopefully won’t have to do that, though.

Our front porch and door is exposed to the North.  And the North wind.  Ha!  This morning, even with the small amount of snowfall we were having, there was a wee drift in the corner by the storm door.

So I’m thinking, “What if we get a blizzard with a foot or more of snow?  We’ll have a huge drift right here at the door! Might be tricky getting out.  Better get a shovel or something so we can dig our way out if we can get the door open a bit.”  Even though they did come clear the sidewalks a bit this morning, we’ll still want a shovel to tidy up our porch and sidewalk in front of our unit.

Here we are around 4:30 PM today

Even though today’s event is unexpected and a bit of a nuisance so late in the year, Momma is presenting us with a mild drill so we can be thinking about these things and preparing for later when Old Man Winter settles in.

I need to start a “Get for Winter” list.  Seriously.

On the domestic front, Dave got his computer desk and chair in place yesterday.  Drapes for that room should be arriving tomorrow (had to order them; can’t find pinch pleat drapes anywhere in stores around here).  If they are okay, I’ll order the same kind for the living room.  One of the 2 recliners we purchased had ongoing issues, so that was taken away today with a replacement on tap to arrive next week.  The other chair is heavenly, but this one was just not right in several ways. 

We’ve spent a good part of today finding places for our treasures that go on the walls.

Painting by my aunt Margaret, given to me by her years ago. It brings a sense of peace, comfort, and the joy of animal companionship.

Cougar was gifted to me about 15 years ago by my Reiki mentor in Austin.  It has hung over every entryway since then, even in our RV.

Baby was with us during our Hibbing, MN days and boarded with sled dogs while I spent Winter 2005-2006 with Dave in Scotland.  Maggie had her share of “snow days” in our New Jersey years.  Both our girls loved snow! (Sorry about the reflection on the photos.)

This storm started with an awesome sleet/ice storm last night shortly after we hit the blankies.  Such a sound on the windows!  It’s been snowing since we opened the blinds this morning and is still coming down.  The temperature today won’t get to the freezing mark, but will be warmer after that with sunshine for Friday.  Next week is looking good again with pleasant temps and a prolonged reappearance of Mr. Sun.

Hope your days are sunny and pleasant!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be safe out there, okay?