It should be recorded that She Who Must Be Obeyed was checked by her cardiologist last Friday and given the go-ahead to go back to work and to drive her car. Of the two, She was happiest about the driving bit; the going back to work was greeted with mixed feelings. She returned to the office Monday (Jan. 11) and is doing quite well.
Going through my head all afternoon was Lullaby of Birdland, an instrumental version actually, but Ella Fitzgerald's rendition is quite wonderful! I think I picked it up from some mall store's background music; a perfectly lovely obsession that had me whistling the tune more than once.
Saturday was spent in travels both on errands and for the enjoyment of being out of doors on a fine winter's day. It really didn't start out quite so fine –it was gray and snowy– but as the day progressed, things changed. The clouds grew thinner and gave way to peeks of blue and by the end of the day, the sky was cloud free with the sun illuminating nature's recently-decorated landscapes.
We did discover, however, just how unique our position was: from the road and slightly lower elevations we got a look at hilltops similar to ours. Off in the distance, across a valley, we spied what, at first, seemed to be snow-capped mountains. No, not mountains at all but the very hills we live in — the tops only just high enough to catch freezing fog on their trees. Anything below the critical elevation was typicaly winter-bare. A remarkable sight.
I took another winter photo-walk in our neighborhood, again with the new lens and the old Canon Digital Rebel, re-photographing some of Friday's discoveries; this time with clear blue sky and bright late-day sunlight to enhance the view. Clearly visible were the plate-shaped ice deposits on trees and shrubs. The frosting was beautiful by itself but gave added hold to the light, dry snow that fell and resulted in several days of amazing winter scenes.
Though it was very cold here last night (10F degrees) winds have kicked up and the snow coats have begun to fall from our trees. We did have splendid sights here, thanks to our unique position. While we often wish we lived someplace else, where we are occasionally has its high points.
The predicted snow has been falling this cold day in January. Winter weather such as this isn't unexpected around here so we cope. The cities, counties, and state kept the roads passable for the most part and we went about our business this morning –between bouts of snowfall– arriving back home this afternoon. With temperatures barely above 20 degrees (F) I couldn't bear to not go on a solo hike in the snow, camera in hand, to enjoy the beauty of the world nearby and record some to share and remember. It was also an excellent opportunity to try out a beautiful new lens* I've got for my cameras.
In our neighborhood the drives are a mess of the same sort seen on the public streets: slushy, salty, dirty, wet. Snow and ice are accumulating on roofs and eaves troughs threatening to tumble to the ground and flatten or impale any unfortunates found below.
My walk carried me through my neighborhood –some of the most beautifully trees decorated by nature were found here– on to the town square, behind a commercial business and apartment building, and back home. Along the way I enjoyed views, many views, of the flocked trees. Late in the walk came sightings of wildlife: a deer taking shelter in the scrub, and robins picking wild berries.
The trees gained their remarkable beauty through a two-stage process. High humidity and freezing fog rolled through the area Tuesday night; along with cold temperatures thick hoar frost formed on every exposed branch, twig, and weed. The landscape was transformed and was gorgeous both day and night.
Next came snowfall of the light, fluffy variety Thursday and today. The flakes adhered to the flat plates of frost already on the trees, puffing up the white coating by many times over — where we are today.
So the snow is an impediment to modern life and can really make a mess of things. Overall, however, I'd say it's a beautiful mess.
~ ~ ~
* The Lens: Just received (thanks to She Who Must Be Obeyed) a fantastic new zoom lens for use with my digital SLR cameras. Critically looking at these and other first images made with the lens, I think it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Autofocus was fast but tricked sometimes by the complex nature of… nature, but in-focus areas were very sharp. The lens features full-time manual focus! Chromatic aberration is well-controlled, and the lens has a very practical focal length range making it an excellent choice for general use and in situations (like today) where it would be unwise to remove and replace lenses due to snow or dust. The glass? Canon EF 24-105 mm f/4L IS USM.
THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN CLEVELAND HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WARNING FOR SNOW WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST
SATURDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. THE
LAKE EFFECT SNOW WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
WIDESPREAD SNOW SPREADING ACROSS THE AREA WILL CONTINUE INTO
FRIDAY WHILE TRANSITIONING TO LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS WHICH WILL
THEN CONTINUE INTO SAT BEFORE TAPERING TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS
AND FLURRIES. MOST LOCATIONS SHOULD SEE 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW BY
FRIDAY MORNING & ANOTHER 4 TO 6 INCHES BY SAT MORNING. BOTH
THE PRIMARY & SECONDARY SNOWBELT WILL BE AFFECTED. THIS MEANS
THE HEAVIER SNOWFALL WILL ALSO AFFECT ALL THE SUBURBS OF THE
CLEVELAND METRO AREA.INCLUDING MEDINA.SUMMIT & PORTAGE
COUNTIES AS WELL AS LAKE & GEAUGA COUNTIES.
Northeastern Ohio winters can be a hard time for driving and I've been interested in seeing how the 2010 Honda Insight (now at 15,000+ miles) would handle it. Last week we had a cold spell with several days in the low teens and the temperature bottoming out at +8 degrees (F) one night. The Insight, sitting outdoors for about 12 hours, started right up sounding only a little annoyed at having to stir in the frigid morning air; I complained more than did the car. Despite the cold, the big hybrid battery provided plenty of juice and the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) started the gasoline motor –rrrrrRRRRRRRRRR– just as if it was 70 degrees. That morning I let the car warm for a few minutes before driving which doesn't help mileage (see below) but does benefit both car and driver.
Today we dealt with about five inches of overnight snow and +20-degree temperatures. Our development's drive was barely cleared as I left for the office in the morning and local streets were reduced to slushy tire tracks. The Insight had no trouble pulling itself up the hill and out into traffic. Yes, the roads were a bit slick –really bad in some places– but there was no problem starting or stopping; I was worried about the snow performance of the car's low rolling-resistance tires. ABS buzzed more than once, though not severely, helping abate skids. Electronic stability control kicked in a few times helping me accelerate in a straight line and I never felt the wheels spin when starting from a stop. I took the freeway to make up for time lost in slow, slow local post-holiday traffic. Average speed was about 45 MPH on a highway that had clear, wet tire tracks in lanes separated by piles of plowed slush. Changing lanes across the heavy glop was no problem at all and the car was in good smooth control at all times smashing through the messy barriers.
The only negative impact I've seen winter have on the Insight (besides salt and goop on the car) is a substantial drop in mileage. Operating lights, heat, window defoggers near full-time kept the gasoline motor running 'most all of the time. Mileage on the current tank appears to have "tanked" itself to about 44 MPG. I've been able to say the average fuel economy for my commutes has been about 50 MPG on a tank with my summertime high (no AC running, no lights, etc.) was just shy of 60 MPG. Now 44 MPG sounds bad to me but it's still about 10 MPG better than our Honda Civic averages and, considering the EPA's estimate is only 41 MPG (combined) and my worst performance overall is now 44 MPG, I guess I'll be happy.
Can't say I won't be happier when winter has passed and the snow and deep cold stay put in the arctic.
Before midnight the sky was clear and Moon was bright. There was plenty enough snow on the ground to let Moon light up the landscape. It would have been a beautiful night to go out with camera and tripod… except that the temperature was 14 degrees (F). Call me timid but that's cold.
This morning She Who Must Be Obeyed pointed out the patio door to the balcony asking, "doesn't that look like a cat?" The wind and other local forces had made an interesting shape out of snow that had settled on the balcony's wooden railing. Sure does look like a cat's head in profile, "with its ears back," said I.
Grabbing my trusty "old" camera I opened the door and squeezed off a few shots of the snow sculpture. Then I noticed another shape, a little farther to the left of the cat bust. A snake (or dragon)!
All the while the real cat of the house regarded my activities with curiosity, though not enough to draw her out into the still-frigid air and snow-covered deck. Smart cat, that; more interested in people and birds than snowshapes.
I recently discovered the animated series Kid vs. Kat currently showing on Disney XD. It's about a cat who has come to Earth from an alien feline world. Unfortunately I'm still catching up on the backstory so there's a lot I don't know. It is, however, lots of fun watching the cartoon mayhem that results as "Mr. Kat" tries to fulfill his mission and his exo-feline wishes in secret whilst living with a very odd family. A cross-purpose fixation is Kat's love of "Fishy Frisky Bits" cat food. Only the young boy of the family, "Coop," has any inkling of the diabolical workings of the hairless feline's mind and the full scope of his alien powers. In classic cartoon style, however, the rivalry between Kid and Kat goes both ways.
Amongst Kat's talents are invention (making all sorts of weapons, spacecraft, and communication devices from household items) and claws that are steel-strong and double as welders or super-hot cutters. Oh, and he can look so very innocent! This week they played the show's Christmas special which, I've heard, is the final show of the first series of programs. I'm hoping they start the shows over from #1 so's I can catch up. I like starting the day with a bit(e) of fun!
Out on an errand I stopped by the quarry lake parks in Berea. It was a cold, gloomy day, reminiscent of my recent mood. As I explored the area, I watched ducks and geese, studied and listened to thick ice water flowing over the lake's dam. I discovered ice curtains forming on snowy tree limbs tangled in the rocks, and observed dark skies reflecting in waters that were darker still. The already-gloomy day was heading toward night –we're a day shy of winter solstice– making photography difficult and the cold air was stiffening my fingers, making them hurt. Time to head home. Dark and cold the days become.
PhotonStopper 