It just won’t stop. “Maybe this is the last one” I heard
them say. Will it be? Anything can happen at any time in this zone.
Of the 35 or so years I have been living in this area I have
seen snow in every month except July and the year before I moved up it snowed
on July 4th, killing my neighbor’s tomato plants. That was in the
early 80s, though, and while things can still get a little crazy we generally
don’t see any snowfall in June, July, or August.
Our official total from this last storm was 10 inches or 25
cm. It was(is) heavy and wet, but at least it made mud season disappear for a
couple of days. It is supposed to get above freezing every day for the coming
week so it should go away in a few days. Here is a picture from this morning.
The winds got a little stiff, too. I don’t think anything
much over 50 mph (80kph), but in Duluth they recorded some of 70mph (112kph).
It made for some big waves on the lake and while I wasn’t adventurous enough to
go out and do some crazy photography, other people were. These cliffs are about
40 feet (12 meters) high.
(Angela Botner Photography )
I have lived by the ocean and there are seriously huge
waves that can get going in some parts of the world, but we are on an inland
lake. Granted, it is a very large lake, as lakes go, but there are things that
happen in the ocean that are unbelievably amazing.
There
is a lighthouse on the Brittany Coast in France that is known for the waves.
There have been movies made about rogue waves, but the first one I remember was in the "disaster" genre called the Poseidon Adventure. One of my favorite magazines when I was a teenager and early adulthood was the literary giant, Mad Magazine. They did a hilarious satire of the movie called the Poopsidedown Adventure. It was the biggest selling month in Mad's illustrious, yet dubious, history selling 2.8 million copies! That issue cost 40 cents. CHEAP! I laughed until it hurt!
That lighthouse shot is amazing. I suppose it is automated now, but am thinking of the days when it was manned by a single soul. What a job!!! Incredibly beautiful, but frightening too.
ReplyDeleteI do hope you get some sunshine and warmth soon. We are (finally) in Autumn, and are getting cool nights and lovely days.
There is actually a job opening for a lighthouse keeper at the nearby Split Rock Lighthouse State park. More of a curator position as they only turn on the light a couple of times a year. Glad you have finally cooled off.
DeleteMAD magazine was my fave too in high school/college.
ReplyDeleteI got a lot of laughs and insight for many years from that crazy magazine.
DeleteLordy ... do you ever get "normal" weather?! I guess normal is relative.
ReplyDeleteThe waves in both of those shots are stunning!
Everything is normal and average never happens. The top picture is the calm after the storm. The morning after, as it were.
DeleteWeather makes life interesting. Even here in the Netherlands, changes are rapid. Barbecue last weekend in T-shirt and instead of going for the first sleep outside of the year, this weekend there was snow. (Nothing stayed on the ground but quite of bit falling down in the afternoon.)
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived closer to an ocean the weather was noticeably more moderated. Here in the middle of the continent, not so much.
DeleteWell, since it's April in Missouri, my dream for a final snow day (a gift from the gods when it comes to teachers) has been dashed to the ground.
ReplyDeleteSo sad.
Mad magazine was one of my favorites when I was a pre-teen and young teen. The page that got folded to create something new always delighted me. (I would try and guess what the new picture would be, but almost never could.)
Even Alfred E. Neuman would worry, with the president we currently have...
It was a snow day here because of the icy conditions. Unfortunately, I went to work anyway.
DeleteI remember the "fold in" as a spoof on girly magazine "fold outs". I really should buy a few issues to see how they poke fun at everyone now. Probably having a field day! What, me worry?
I was a big fan of "the literary giant, MAD Magazine," too! It taught me satire and disrespect for authority, two very valuable things to know.
ReplyDeleteThose were key and important lessons in how to get along in the world. You have indeed learned your lessons well!
DeleteI would simply not be able to live in such climes. Extreme temperatures are not for me, neither hot nor cold. Delicate central European that I am. Moderation in all things.
ReplyDeleteIt is starting to take a toll on me, too, but it does keep out the riff-raff except for the riff-raff that was already here. Central Europe has a delightful climate!
DeleteAh, 70 mph winds ... bracing!
ReplyDeleteIt musses up my do!
DeleteI recall a time I was living in PA and put in for a transfer to go to Minneapolis/St Paul. I thought it would be beautiful and couldn't wait. Instead of getting that city I got Cleveland. Big difference.Then I got to go to MSP for business. It was never snowy and it was always beautiful weather even when I went in February. My clients told me it was rare. From reading you I guess I was lucky and it was rare. While I love snow. I prefer it for a few months, not half the year. I love your fortitude but I no longer have it. :-) I don't want to live anywhere that doesn't have 4 seasons, I just think I prefer the seasons to be a bit more equal. Does that place exist Jono?
ReplyDeleteI think the middle Atlantic states have it and so does much of Europe, southern Australia, but I am unlikely to see any of those places and stay for a year just to see if I would like it. It is the stuff of daydreams.
DeleteI meant to type, "that DOES have 4 seasons, I just think I prefer the seasons to be a bit more equal"
ReplyDeleteI knew what you meant. :)
DeleteUhg, my sympathies for the neverending snow. The latest I saw snow in the area I grew up in was my Birthday (April 21st) and that was late enough in the year for me. July 4th is CRAZY! I couldn't deal with it so I moved and we got zero snow this Winter, which is fine by me.
ReplyDeleteWhere were you and where are you? I remember the day after your birthday back in 1970. The day after the first Earth Day. It was a beautiful day in southern Minnesota. You probably weren't born yet and I still had a full head of hair.
DeleteGoodness you are having a whole lot of wind, ice and snow !
ReplyDeleteOur summer is coming but we are having a few rainy days first.
cheers, parsnip
I'll bet things look nice after a rain down there.
DeleteMore snow?!? How revolting - I hope it melts soon. The wind must have been no picnic, either - did you lose power?
ReplyDeleteThat lighthouse photos is amazing in an 'OMG I'm glad I'm not in there' sort of way!
I didn't lose power. About 30 years ago we would lose power with a strong breeze, but the power co-op has been clearing right-of-way along the lines and it is much better.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine riding out a storm in that lighthouse??
I could, but I don't want to!
DeleteSnow after it's been nice and warm for a while is the meanest kind of snow.
ReplyDeleteIt is the proverbial 3 steps forward, two steps back.
DeleteWhen I lived in Florida near the beach, I loved going out to the beach when there were storms coming in. I'm envious that you live on the water and get to see everything!
ReplyDeleteWatching the changes near a big open body of water is always exciting for me. I guess I'm a bit of a weather geek.
DeleteHas it stopped yet?
ReplyDeleteWe finally have spring weather. But we need rain badly all over the province. The lighthouse photo is incredible. Not sure I would be brave enough to live there. Sometimes the solitude would be nice.
ReplyDelete