Monday
morning, we awoke to -18C (0F). By noon it was up to 0 (32F), and by
afternoon, +7C ( 45F ). Monday night and Tuesday night it barely got
down to freezing or just below. Last night, it didn't freeze at all.
Its 10:30 AM now and the temperature is 14C (57F).
I was out perusing the driveway and parking area, and it is now mud. We went from this....
to this....
in the space of 3 days.
The morning sky was grey and cloud covered, but I stood out and watched the distinct edge of the cloud bank as it drifted across the sky in front of a gusty SW breeze. The sun emerged in full glory in a blue sky. The gusts of warm air lifted my hair. The freedom! No hats, no mitts, no snow pants, just a light quilted jacket!
The tree tops are dancing in the warm breeze, swaying so much more freely, the stiffening grip of minus temperatures gone.
Two starlings flew in to the crab-apple tree near the bird feeders, then off to the south. A bird, dark against the sky, sitting up in the tip-top of a poplar off to the west, took flight over the yard, letting out with a 'quit-quit-quit-quit'...a robin.
In the space of three days, we have gone from snow-cover, to ice-cover, to MUD. I don't think I've ever seen the snow melt so fast. Our snowshoe trails have gone from indentations in the snow, to ridges of packed snow which are too difficult to walk on now. One just slides off of the sides. A short walk, in rubber boots, over to the camp on the narrow trail we kept clear, is an exercise in 'penguin walking'. It is a sheet of water-covered ice.
Spring-tails are a rusty-red stain along the edges of little rivulets flowing across the ice, congregating in the puddles. They are almost microscopic, and on close inspection are a writhing mass of tiny insects.
I'm pretty sure this is just a tease by Mother Nature, but, oh the promise riding on those gusts of southerly air!
Sounds like spring is sneaking in the door! Enjoy the beautiful day :)
ReplyDeleteNot sneaking, Martha...blasting the door down! It is usually a more gentle process! It got up to 17C (63F) this PM. Forecast is for -18C (0F) Friday night.
DeleteSounds as if your snow is melting as fast as ours is. And you had lots more than we! Last Saturday we had three little urchins making mazes of footprints on our pond as they fought play battles with cattails. Wednesday it held a very big puddle of water in the center. Our overnight temp last night was 14°. Even the mud is frozen this morning. (Yippee for that!) Yep, this is spring in the northland.
ReplyDeleteJust in from a crispy wander this morning. It is a beautiful, calm, full-sun day. Last night, around supper time, a thunder storm raged through, the bush edges turning opaque, seen through the onslaught of horizontal rain. Then the wind howled till early AM, blowing battened down sheets of metal off of the wood piles by the garage, just missing my car! Not much sleep last night! Of all the sorts of weather there is, I hate wind the most! There are tree branches and trees down everywhere. Hubby is out with the chainsaw now.
DeleteJust the thought of being able to go out of the door without six layers of woolens is enough to lift the spirit! That is some serious ice!
ReplyDeleteSusan, the woolies were back on this morning! (-13C 9F) A lot of the ice road melted to mud before it froze again. Mother Nature is a tease.
DeleteSpring has sprung! We're having lovely weather too, but I'm doubtful it will last. Makes it hard to keep the garden fever under control!
ReplyDeleteBack to minus temperatures again, but yes, spring is on the way. The sun shines stronger, and is further north each day. Started some seeds yesterday!
DeleteHi Rosalea :)) I kind of feel the tease too...you have described what's going on here too, though right now we are back to deep freeze and a skating rink out there!
ReplyDeleteHi Rain. Yes, back to the freeze, for now, but it is gradually getting warmer over the next while. Have a good week.
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