Computer modelling from Canada, US and Europe all agree that we are in for another major storm or two as the week begins. The two Alberta clippers are still heading east while some huge wet mess from the US is heading north east. It appears that one of the clippers (or both) will join with the other low pressure system and produce a mega-low -- weather bomb -- where the pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. Just the term 'bomb' uses a violent metaphor for such storms. The merged beast will bring with it tons of snow -- at least 20, but likely 30 cm Monday into Tuesday and another 20 cm Tuesday into Wednesday. Along with the snow there will be winds. There is a bit of wind picking up outside right now from another bit of a low -- some stray creature or the harbinger for the others -- who knows. I'll admit that I am ready for the lineup of storms headed this way to stop -- NOW would be great.
Storms, meteorological and metaphorical, can be exhausting. Both seem to hang just over your shoulder and bring major anxiety, disrupted sleep, and physical stress -- shoveling, walking through snow, tensing muscles with worry. It seems that neither is a healthy option, but then, neither are true options -- no choices provided really. Escape seems unlikely -- even to go somewhere warm, would bring stress about property, getting to and from airports and such. The vortex of the counterclockwise rotation can pull you down into it -- it becomes the major thought directing your days. This must be where some of those lines on faces come from -- we fight hard and are left with those as scars perhaps.
The song that ran through my mind today is by a Canadian songbird, from a few hours down the highway in the middle of a major snow belt area. The title has also come to mean a Canadian retiree who goes south for the winter. Enjoy!
Thankfully, the weather last night was far less problematic than it could have been locally. We had about 3 hours of mixed ice pellets and freezing rain that left about 2 inches of schmutz to clear today. On top of that stuff was about 4-5 inches of snow some of which had an ice slick on top of it all. All in all, much lighter load to move than folks in Charlottetown, PE where they got half a metre of snow. Having shoveled 40+ for the past 2 storms, I fully understand what that does to a city and its residents. Now there seems to be something Monday into Tuesday to leave 15-20 cm on Monday and 10-15 on Tuesday. Again, it may change as the system shapes up, joins forces with another friendly low, or wobbles out to sea or into New Brunswick. It was to be a clipper (often called Alberta clipper due to its origin and the speed with which such storms come and go), which generally brings some snow, but not usually huge moisture. Again, too soon for forecasters to call this with any accuracy. So -- as I've said before, something is coming -- I can tell by the pricking of my thumbs <g>.
Other events of the day, made me realize just how precarious life can be, changing on a dime (or 25 cents US <smile>). While we have the illusion of control, that is all it is -- an illusion. We seem to get caught up in our little routines and small dramas -- internal and external -- and miss the bigger picture some days. I've had many people lately tell me of devastating situations that made me feel that I need to focus on some of the important aspects of life rather than what seems important in our myopic worlds. Notice the sunshine, the beauty in snowflakes, the soft fur of you favourite furry friend, the laughter of others, and how great smiling can make you feel. <Smile>.
The song for today came to me as the day progressed. The title just seemed to fit today. Enjoy!
Note: the sound quality was good on this one, but the '80s hair is a bit much to take <smile>.
Today was spent running errands and meeting for future planning. The rain poured all afternoon. Without rain gear, I would have been soaked just between the grocery store and the car. Groceries were rather wet from the trip between the car to the house and the reusable bags had to be hung to dry. The temperature was far cooler than yesterday when it was in the positive double digits -- today it was single digits very near freezing. Not a big wind, but enough to make cheeks feel a bit cold during the five minute walk to Main Street. Forecasters are saying that in the transition to snow by about midnight, we will go through ice pellets and freezing rain. There is a chance that that will be mainly freezing rain with large accretion of 1 to 2 cm -- not millimeters, but centimeters. I fear for the trees that were damaged last weekend and haven't been attended to yet in the major cleanup. There is a distinct chance of further power outages, just as many people have gotten used to having the heat on again and being able to cook.
I chose to do this blog a bit earlier today, just in case the power goes down and I can't communicate with you all. The song that seemed to work best in my mind has lyrics that discuss meteorological events like nor'easters -- all that and by a favourite singer/songwriter/pianist <smile>. Enjoy!
Note the visual for the audio below is the nautical warning flag -- storm warning.
Fifty-eight years ago yesterday the early rock and roll world lost three unique players. Fifty-eight years ago today, a young man with a paper route read of the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. Twelve years later, Don MacLean would write and record a song that resonates with listeners to this day. Though there was an horrific loss, out of it came something truly poetic, something instantly recognized by many, many people. From MacLean's lyrics came a way to describe the day of that winter plane crash -- the day the music died.
While the three passengers on that plane did not produce any new music, all of their work before the crash lives on. Today I'd like to do something different and share four selections that represent the bodies of work of four artists. The first is one of my favourite Buddy Holly songs, followed by a favourite from Ritchie Valens. JP Richardson (the Big Bopper) was known for one particular song, one that always caught my attention when heard. The fourth selection is the epic poetic song from Don MacLean. As a bonus I'll include a song from an artist that gave his seat on that plane to someone else -- lyrics he wrote for several songs tried to exorcise those demons. You may need a big cup of tea or nice glass of red and just sit back, listen and relax. Enjoy!
Snow was added to the frozen world by early evening. It nicely covered all the ice patches making walking even more treacherous. I walked down the road due to the thicker ice on the sidewalks on the hills -- it was relatively clear on the flatter streets.
Walking in zig zags as I tried to step between the ice patches and then dodging overhanging branches made me think of feeling out of control with some projects. It also seemed that the careful movements to keep myself safe could mirror situations in life where it seems easier to 'let it go' rather than speak up for myself or others. I do love metaphors -- they can help make sense of the world and my place in it. <smile>
Dancing around the icy spots today reminded me of Denny Doherty (of the Mamas and the Papas) when telling his musical life story in Dream a Little Dream. He likened the journey to crossing a stream or river by jumping from flat rock to flat rock, discovering along the way that some of the choices were slippery rocks, which added danger to the opportunities. One of the songs he did for this one-man stage play came to mind to share today. It tells a major part of the group history. The link chosen has a wonderful collection of photos including some with other '60s artists. Enjoy!
Overnight, the world froze solid. All that snow and slush became a massive glacial covering on the ground. Thankfully, the snow covering many trees had fallen with the warmer temperature Sunday and yesterday. Some parking areas on campus were downright scary with the frozen ruts and ice. Many people are getting their power back on as of last night and into the overnight hours. The power trucks are still visible -- passed two large trucks on the way home from work today. The cleanup of the piles of branches and trees will continue into the Spring, since much is under that frozen ice.
I was reminded of the need to be kind to those around us today from both positive and negative examples. While some people feel they have the right to disrupt the lives of others, the example of the power crews disrupting their lives to help others is one that provides some hope for society. <smile> This brought one song to mind. The video for this song is ever so slightly out of sync, but I love the actions of the singer. Enjoy!
A busy Monday at the office and at home. I walked to work to avoid having difficulty finding a parking spot as the lots are being cleared. By afternoon the temperature had risen to +10C. Water was running everywhere. I headed home in late afternoon to shovel the last of the snow from the back porch and around the side of the house. The sun and warmer temps were very agreeable. The snow was fully saturated, so only small bits on the shovel at a time making the process a bit longer, but much easier in the longer term. I then tackled the foot of compacted wet snow on the car. Moving that off the roof was a challenge, but once I found a technique to move larger chunks off the back end of the vehicle, it went much easier. I didn't want to wait longer, since it will freeze overnight and then stay below freezing for two days.
WiFi connections on campus were still out in several buildings until late morning or early afternoon. Luckily I was hard-wired into the network so managed to get a report off that was due today. I had hoped to do this over the weekend, but e-mail was down during that time. At work today, I was able to print some of the draft documents I had begun over the weekend.This evening I finished the drafts of two versions of midterms for two classes -- so four exams in total. The classrooms are full, so two separate exams are needed when people are sitting in a more crowded space. Midterms are next week and things need to get to the printer tomorrow. Again, I'd hoped to get things there today, but didn't get the process moved along over the weekend due to storm issues. So, tomorrow will have to do.
All in all, it's been a good day. I've been thankful for the power workers who have been occupied since Friday evening re-establishing power as trees have been falling across lines in the town and county. Given that activity, there's no way that I can complain today. I'm sharing a song with lyrics that make me think of moving forward in busy situations. The one line about digging made me laugh, since that's what I've been up to -- though, it is likely the lyricist meant something else entirely <grin>. The rhythms and melody are made to make you move. Enjoy!
Draggin' the Line -- Tommy James and the Shondells
