Sunday, December 22, 2013

Calista's Diary Entry - Ice Ice Baby

Dear Diary,

This winter has started off with a bang!  We have had another winter storm that has covered us in a sheet of ice.

The trees are covered with ice and the branches are bowing and breaking under the weight.  The power lines are covered with hundreds of icicles.  Thousands of homes and businesses in our community are without power, and many are dealing with property losses due to trees falling on roofs and vehicles.

Road conditions have been hazardous, so we have not gone anywhere since Friday.  On Saturday, we lost power to our home.  We put our perishable food items into an ice chest and placed that outside.  The fireplace was our main source of heat and light.  We had candles and flashlights and cell phones for light (which we tried not to use much so that we would not run down the batteries).   My grandmother is here, and she cooked breakfast in a cast iron skillet on coals from the fireplace, and taught my mother how to make fireside stew.  We played bored games - I mean board games, and we talked a lot.  

Today I was ready to get out of the house.  I was beginning to feel trapped.  When I asked if I could go out, my grandmother jumped in and said "Don't go out there!  You could fall and bust your head wide open!"  My mother asked her not to say such things.  My mother let me go, telling me to be very careful and not to go far.

We have some impressive icicles on the house.

I don't recall ever seeing a cactus covered in ice before.

Bob saw me outside and asked if I wanted some company.  Of course I said yes.

I would be in SO MUCH TROUBLE if my parents saw me climbing this tree!

At least I wouldn't be in trouble alone.  Bob and Calista sitting in a tree... 

That's all, just s-i-t-t-i-n-g.  :)

16 comments:

  1. Comment re-attempt:

    I cracked up at the term "bored" games. Today's children probably would consider board games extremely boring.

    I hope the ice melts soon with warmer temperatures and restoration of your power. I hope you do not incur any property loss or damage as a result of the ice. Stay warm.

    dbg

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    1. Thanks Debbie! We did not lose power, but I can empathize with Calista because we did lose power years ago for several days due to an ice storm, and we experienced some of the same things as Calista's family. The board games indeed turned to "bored" games after a while.

      We're expecting warmer weather today and the ice should melt. So far, no property damage. The trees are holding up.

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    2. Calista writes so well that she had me thinking you lost power. :-) I am glad you didn't.

      I am sure you're welcoming the warmer weather.

      dbg

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    3. It's currently 42 degrees here and the ice is melting so fast that it looks like it's raining and hailing underneath the trees. Our roof is taking a beating. :(

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  2. This looks very, very cold. I had heard on our news programs about some of the storms that parts of America had, looks like it could be a difficult and cold Christmas for some people. I hope Callista (you) get your power back soon.

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    1. Thank you Carrickters! It is very cold right now, but we're expecting it to warm up quite a bit for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Most of the families in my area have had their power restored at this point.

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  3. I love this post! It reminds me of those freezing days of the past. The pictures looking through the icicle's are fitting for a frame! Especially the with the cactus in the background. I am glad all Callista and bob are doing is doing is sitting! Stay warm and relish this as another story to tell one day. :-) I will be praying for everyone in your town.

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    1. Thank you The grandmommy! We had a really mild winter last year, but it looks like we will make up for it this year. The photo that you mentioned with the cactus in the background is my favorite of the ones that I took that day. Everything looks really pretty with the ice, but it can be such a nuisance at the same time.

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  4. LOL, I was totally expecting some k-i-s-s-i-n-g, but all I got was some s-i-t-t-i-n-g. I guess they are too young for that.

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    1. Muff, they may be young, but are they ready? I guess time will tell. :)

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  5. Good to read about Calista and Bob today. Merry Christmas to you, Roxanne and all of yours ;-) Thanks for sharing this Calista story.

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  6. Love the pictures, even though they gave me a chill. Calista is better than me. I would have been under some blankets somewhere. I guess my age is showing. It's always nice to explore with a good friend. She's a girl after my own heart.

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    1. Thank you, Vanessa! Calista wasn't out there for very long. If it were up to her, she would have been out there much longer, but I had to get back inside to curl up under a blanket while drinking hot chocolate!

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