Tag Archives: snow

Spice on the Snow?

Lame Post Friday has always been the place for random observations, and today I have one!  As I was taking a walk this afternoon, I looked ahead saw something red on the snow.  Was it blood (obviously the first thought of one obsessed with true crime as I am)?   Had somebody gotten sick on their way home (obviously these things happen sometimes)?  What else could it be? As I got up to it, I saw that it was red powder on a freshly plowed snowy sidewalk.  I have never heard of paprika being used as an ice melt or means of friction.  Who knew?

Alas that I did not pause to take a picture.

Unrelated snow picture.

I just scrolled through my Media Library looking for a picture of snow, since I really have nothing else for this blog post.  I took a long-ish walk today, but I did a Pedestrian Post yesterday.  I stopped at the Herkimer County Historical Society, so I can give a shout-out to them.

The Suiter House.

I will no doubt have more to blog about the Historical Society as time goes on.  For one reason, I am hoping to to a murder mystery for them this spring.  I may do some other volunteer work for them, just to keep myself busy.  I will no doubt get some blog posts about from these endeavors.

In the meantime, this must do for my Lame Post Friday post.  Happy beginning of the weekend to you all!

 

Oh, the Snow!

I have not been going on my usual walks lately, largely because of the dreadful winter weather.  Yes, yes, lots of places are having worse weather, and worse things than weather.  I did not mean to complain; I was merely pointing out cause and effect.  Today I did a bit of walking to run some errands.  Alas, I did not take pictures as I went, so you will just have to picture in your head the blowy snow I walked through, and imagine the fluff to be plowed through and the treacherous ice beneath.  But maybe I can find a few appropriate  pictures in my Media Library so my post will not be completely without illustration.

Random snow picture. 

This picture is from March 2017.  I was actually looking for a picture of Basloe Library, which was my first stop today.  I could not even find an un-snowy picture.  The snow is, in fact, not this deep, especially in my driveway.  For one reason, I have been out shoveling almost every day, so as not to let it pile up, which I have been guilty of doing before.

I could not help feeling that the weather was pretty crappy as I walked to Basloe.  It was cold, especially with the wind chill.  The sidewalks were not cleared, although some had been cleared previously.  I walked where there was some semblance of a sidewalk, especially where somebody had left footprints I could walk in.  Sometimes, however, I had to resort to the road.  Left side, facing traffic!  Most cars were considerate, slowing down and moving over when possible.

My other stops involved crossing Route 5.  Yikes!  But I managed that without too much trouble.  Only I didn’t dare hurry much.  I was afraid if I slipped on the slush and ended up flat on my back, I was more likely to get run over than if I stayed upright.

Another old snow illustration.

I prefer walking over driving when the roads are bad, because I feel more in control.  However, by the time I was headed for home after finishing my errands, I was wishing I was in my nice heated car.  It is funny how much longer walking seems to take when there is wind chill, whether or not you are walking with or against the wind.  But here I am whining again.

Another fairly unrelated picture.

Once I got home, I recklessly decided to shovel the driveway, which I had not done before I left.  I did not go into the house first, for fear I would just stay there and say to hell with it.  I put my purse on the porch, got the shovel, and dug in as fast as I could get away with.  I felt fairly pleased with myself that I had done it, especially clearing a shovel-width on the front walk (I really don’t feel I can manage more than that).  Since I am grateful to people who clear their walks, I try to return the favor.

Perhaps tomorrow I can take a picture of this year’s snow, so we can do a little compare/contrast with previous years, although I fear the similarities will be striking.

 

Blogger’s Snow Day?

Why am I so tired so early in the evening?  That is a rhetorical question; I do not really need any speculation or suggestions.  What I need is to make a Wrist to Forehead Sunday post, since once again I have gone a few days blogless.  What the hell, me?

I have not walked up this hill lately.

This is a random picture of snow from my Media Library.  The Mohawk Valley has been experiencing a Snow Event since Friday.  I have not taken any pictures of said snow, but it looks remarkably similar to other times it has snowed around here.  Herkimer has not been as hard hit as other places, but we have gotten plenty, and I have done my share of shoveling.  I have also taken some effortful walks, plowing through marginally plowed spaces and being careful of underlying ice.  Perhaps that is why I am so tired.  It is winter, and my body feels it should be hibernating.

My car has looked like this three days in a row.

Here is a shot from last January, but it shows about what I have been dealing with.  However, I have been shoveling busily and not letting the snow pile up.  For one reason, warmer weather is not predicted.  If I wanted to wait it out, I would have a while.

The winding road ahead.

This is another picture from last year, included for the symbolism. I do not see a straight path ahead of me, perhaps because my current goals are too ambiguous.  I suppose January is a good time to work on that.  Then again, any time is a good time to set goals and make a plan.

In the meantime, I have blathered on for over 250 words.  I guess this is under the heading of At Least I Made A Blog Post.  As always, I shall try for something better tomorrow, and I thank you for tuning in.

 

A Shout-out and a Snowman

I thought I could manage a Waste Not Want Not Wednesday Post.  I have a couple of seasonal photos, including a shout-out to a local business.

There’s no place like Yetty’s for the holidays!

Yetty’s Pizza and Pasta is one of my favorite places to stop for a snack, lunch, or dinner.  On a recent visit there, I admired their latest decoration, painted by the owner and chef.  I must do a full post about Yetty’s soon.  That will be a good excuse to treat myself to dinner there again.

I’m sure he or she has melted now.

I got a picture of this snowman on a walk I took on the first of December.  I am not sure if those are teddy bear ears or frog eyes on the head, but I like it.  Most of the snow is gone now, with the rain that has been pounding down all day.  Oh well, at least I don’t have to shovel rain.  I would probably be too lazy to make a snowman anyways.

The sad thing is that I only have two photos to waste not.  Then again, a short blog post is better than no blog post at all.  Once again, I thank you for tuning in.

Yetty’s  Pizza and Pasta is located at  109 Mohawk St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-866-4201.

 

Lame Snowstorm of the Year?

I had hopes of making my Lame Post Friday post ON Friday, but alas, they came to naught.  It is not so early Saturday morning (for me), and I am on my second cup of coffee as I contemplate a rather bold statement I have been making recently.  I said if it snowed again, I would NOT shovel.  I would wait it out.  I look out the window and see that Mother Nature has called my bluff.  Oh well, I had planned to have a Stay at Home Saturday.  I do not rule out clearing part of my porch and a path to the road, so the mailman can deliver and so I can get a walk in.  That is for the other side of coffee and breakfast.

I don’t think it is this bad.

This is a picture from March 2017.  I had a husband to help me shovel in those days.  These things are so much better when you do them together.

This picture brings up a topic suitable for Lame Post Friday: pictures of snow.  Some people on Facebook snark, “We all know what snow looks like! You don’t have to show pictures every time it snows!”  I say, “Why the hell not?”  I like to share the everyday lives of my friends.  I don’t mind pictures of food; I like pictures of sandaled feet with a beer nearby (although I admit to being jealous of those shots sometimes); I especially like pictures of people’s pets, even if they are not doing anything particularly noteworthy at the time.

Substitute glass of wine for beer.

That reminds me, I need to get a pedicure soon. Perhaps a call to Hot Spot Salon and Spa is in order (just to give a quick shout-out to a local business) I feel certain sandal weather will soon arrive, and I do so enjoy seeing a little color on my toes.

I see I am over 300 words.  Score!  I do not expect any real Mohawk Valley Adventures this weekend, although I still have a few past ones I have not written about yet.  That is for the future.  A Saturday post on Saturday?  Time will tell.  I always say, Time is certainly a blabbermouth.  But as my sister Diane says, “Time is relative.  Not our relative.”

 

Still Working on that Daily Thing

Is it time to admit I am no longer a daily blogger?  Say it ain’t so!!! (My Chromebook does not seem to have a caps lock, and it is too much trouble to hold down the button) (I get lazier by the day).  Where was I?  Ah yes, early Monday morning, ten-finger typing (got the Chromebook back on; did I mention I was having trouble with that), and not having much to say.

My crooked path, as a writer and in life.

When in doubt, throw in a picture.  Snow has returned to Herkimer, NY, but I have not gone for a walk so do not know if this wavy path is back.  Foolish of me not to walk.  It can benefit one’s physical and mental health, but one must be regular about these things.

I have not been having many Mohawk Valley Adventures lately.  I drove into Rome on Saturday to visit my parents, but Route 49 is not a big thrill.  A convenience, yes, but nothing to blog about.  After I returned to Herkimer, I got together with my friend Kim, but we merely ran a couple of errands then stopped at Asteroga Ale House for a little food and drink.  I suppose I could have written about that interlude, but I neglected to take any pictures.  I am kind of addicted to pictures since I added them to the blog in 2016.

I just can’t get enough skeletons.

This is one of the first pictures I shared in October 2016, when I first figured out how to do so.

OK, last week’s storm was not that bad.

It was not until the following January that I learned how to download pictures from the internet (usually Facebook) for blogging purposes.  My husband Steve (miss him so much) found this gem.

Ooh, look, I am over 300 words.  That works for a placeholder post, I think.  Once again, thank you for tuning in.

 

Not a Particularly Monstrous Walk

How monstrous of me to be late making my Monday blog post.  I am semi-lounged on my couch, ten-finger typing on my Chromebook and sipping coffee.  Coffee is a wonderful thing to those of us who enjoy it.  I took a walk yesterday, thinking to make a Pedestrian Post instead of a Monstrous one, but took few pictures.  I was just disinclined to take any.  I eventually took two and just now tried to upload them to WordPress from my phone.  When I went to log off WP on my phone, it told me changes had not uploaded yet.  I looked at my Media Library and said, “But there they are.”  The app had no reply, not surprisingly.

Love the one, don’t know the other.

I found my first photo op as I cut through the parking lot behind Basloe Library.  I love libraries and mean to start going to them more often.  Exiled Games is a business I have never been to, but I feel as Mohawk Valley Girl, I ought to check them out and write a blog post about them.  I mainly took the picture to remind myself to do so but thought it would also be good to put in the blog post.

I like whoever shoveled this.

I came across this wiggly path towards the end of my walk.  How fun is that?  I never wiggle when shoveling my own sidewalk but may have to consider doing so in the future.

So here is my Monday blog post, brought to you Tuesday morning (although my WordPress timestamp may disagree).  For anybody who is disappointed that it was not a Monstrous Monday, cheer up, there’s always Mid-Week Monsters.  In the meantime, I will close with a monster, if I can find one in my Media Library.

I think it is a little scary.

OK, it’s not exactly a monster, but I think it is a little monstrous.  I took it on a walk last November.  Mother Nature provides us with some gruesome delights, if we will only notice them.

 

Ah, Winter!

I mentioned that winter had come to the Mohawk Valley (too lazy to go back and see what I actually said, but I am quite certain I mentioned it).  I had an adventurous drive home this evening.  It could have been worse, of course, and I do not mean to complain.  It was snowing but not yet blowing.  According to this morning’s weather report, the snow will change to rain, and damaging winds are possible.  However, the report said winds would start around 1 p.m., and that did not happen at least where I was.  I personally am hoping the rain clears away some of the snow so I do not have to shovel my driveway in the morning.

Sunday I shoveled my driveway for the first time this winter.  Of course I counted my blessings that January marked my first snow shovel.  I can’t say that made it fun, but one does what one can.

You see, it could have been MUCH deeper.

I remembered to take a “before” picture.  Full disclosure: I only shoveled behind the car, not the whole driveway.  I can only do so much.  I also cleared the sidewalk in front of the house about a shovel’s-width.  I figure that meets the Reasonable Man Standard, which an insurance man once told me about.

I don’t think it really shows how hard I worked.

I did not take an “after” picture of the sidewalk.  Why do I feel that I shoveled a whole lot more than the pictures show?  At any rate, it took me almost 40 minutes, which I think is a pretty good work-out.  I would prefer not to have many of such work-outs this season, but obviously I have no control over that.

I ponder my experience.

I took a selfie before I went inside, thinking to use it in the blog.  In addition to the work-out of shoveling, I took a walk.  The snow is certainly pretty, and walking in it takes more effort than walking on bare sidewalk, so no doubt it burns a few more calories.  Look at me, looking at the bright side.

Instead of another snow picture.

As I have typed this post, I have been listening to the wind pick up.  I hope nobody comes along and drops a house on me.  That happened to a sister of mine once, and then the person who did it stole her shoes!  I loved those red shoes!  But that’s another story.

 

My Blogging Aspirations Continue

Here is one problem I have with going back to being a daily blogger:  lately I do not do enough blog-worthy things.  When I occasionally do something, I neglect to blog about it.  For example, last Wednesday I went to Fratello’s Pizzeria in Frankfort, NY with my friend Kathy and enjoyed the music of Max Scialdone along with some good food.  I not only did not write a blog post about it, I did not take any pictures for future blogging purposes.  I did not even take the usual picture with my phone which I immediately post on Facebook and invite others to come out.

Christmas decorations were still up.

I looked in my Media Library for a picture of Max Scialdone but was unsuccessful.  However, I was able to find this picture of Fratello’s.  Those same nutcrackers were there last Wednesday. I will just mention that I am still learning how to navigate my Media Library on this Chromebook.  It is quite a learning curve for me.  But what a joy to ten-finger type while lounged on my couch.

Frankentree is bigger these days.

This is a shot from 2018.  I wanted one of snow, because winter has returned to the Mohawk Valley with a winter storm (I guess; I don’t know from meteorological designations) yesterday evening.  I will need to do some shoveling today.  I hope I can find my shovel.  I wonder how interesting I can make a blog post about my old creaky body trying to clear my driveway and sidewalk.  I imagine it will be at least as interesting as me whining about how I am not blogging and have little to blog about anyways.  As always, I hope you will stay tuned.

One Reason Why I’m Tired

I will tell you about my Tuesday.  The Mohawk Valley was hit with the nor’easter which I suppose is plaguing the entire state.  I can only suppose, because I have yet restored any real television to my television set (long story, not very interesting) (although I do not rule out making a blog post out of it at some point).  I arose in the morning with trepidation, prepared to dig out my driveway prior to departing for work.

Imagine my delight when I found that shoveling was not yet necessay.  I merely had to clean off my car.  I could see snow heavily falling, though, so allowed extra time, which I definitely needed.

Oh, the roads sucked.  I reflected as I drove down Rt 5 at 30 miles an hour, that a year previously, I had turned around in such conditions and gone home.  Full disclosure:  if my husband Steve were still alive, I probably would have yesterday.  In fact, Steve would have urged me in strong terms not to go in at all.  (“You’re NOT going to work today,” was the way he put it the time I turned around) (yes, I disobeyed a direct order, but let us not discuss the dynamics of my marriage).

Driving up Ilion Gorge was an adventure.  It was a decision whether it was better with or without high beams, because of all the snow.  The light reflects each and every flake, you know. I decided I liked it better with.

I further reflected (see what I did there?) that my drive was a metaphor for my current life.  I was going slowly.  I could not see very far ahead.  I was just trusting to be able to reach my destination (one day when I didn’t even try to get to work, I later learned a fallen tree had blocked the road anyways).  It was not much fun.

Actually it was a little fun.  As often happens, I had to laugh at myself.

Further trials and tribulations were in store for me as the day went on, but I see I am over 300 words.  I do not care to tax my readers’ patience at this time (but do not rule it out at some future date).