As Winter storms raged, and a massive arctic front (the "Polar Vortex") swept across the eastern half of the country, I remained largely holed up at our cabin. The snow accumulation often made it impossible to go out. I would have to wait until my husband Don could come home to plow our drive up to the house. And even so, local roads were often impassable.
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Don plowing our road |
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Early snowfall |
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View from our living room - the side deck |
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View from the right side of my desk |
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Later as the snow continued to pile up |
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View from my desk |
Getting my shipping done has been especially difficult, since we do have get postal service (we are considered "too rural"). I have to take go into town to the post office for that, about a 16 mile round trip.
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My ride back from the post office last week (Clicking on this picture
will open the video up in a separate window in facebook). |
This past week was perhaps the most challenging, when the Polar Vortex descended rapidly across the midwest and north east, causing temperatures to plunge dramatically in our area, from the high (F) 40s down to - 40 wind chill in the space of 12 hours. I kept the wood stove going constantly as wind howled outside. The cabin groaned and popped from the stress of the sudden temperature drop, at times loud enough to cause me and the dogs to jump. When the trees around us became utterly frozen, the upper branches clattered loudly in the wind, like thousands of little bamboo wind chimes. I heard a few cracks and booms from the forest - probably limbs falling, or trees bursting from sap freezing too fast for the tree to handle. At one point during the night, I ventured to open the patio door for a peek outside. The clouds had cleared to reveal a stunning star scape overhead.
During the day or two after the arctic blast, I stayed indoors as it was still very cold out. I decided to work on stringing bead sets, and I have to admit to a bit of cabin fever crept into this task, resulting in some overly-elaborate bead stringing, a few bead sets verging on become jewelry (lol). I had to stop myself.
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Leaf set with fancy leather cord and beads |
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Woodland Relics |
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A tropical-inspired set with fancy leather cord and czech beads |
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Urchin Bloom strung up with coordinating beads |
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Tribal inspired beads |
A few stray Winter Owls crept into these strings, including the following storm-inspired owls...
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I call this one "Snowmageddon Owl" |
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Winter Totem Owl |
I got to hankering after spring and summer, and strung up these brighter-hued leaf and acorn sets. It felt so good to work in these sunny flora-inspired palettes!
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Spring Leaf Totem sets |
That about sums up my past two weeks of living in intense winter conditions and how I coped.
What did you do or make to survive the Winter Storms of 2013 / 2014? I'd like to hear!
You are one tough lady to deal with those conditions and to choose to live where it is "too rural"! I admire your spirit of adventure! btw, I love that acorn in the last pic!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda!
DeleteJe découvre ton blog: Très joli post ! très belles photos!!
ReplyDeleteBon dimanche- Cath
Merci! :)
DeleteWow - cannot imagine your weather woes, as it was mostly only very cold with just enough snow/ice to make it miserable. My studio is in my unfinished basement, where the space heater could not crank out enough heat to make it bearable. So, I picked a few drawers to clean and purge...so boring. In the 50's today, for just a little while. Your pictures (and beads, of course) are just gorgeous, as always!
ReplyDeleteIt's all relative to what you are used to. What might seem really awful to you (up here) is more or less the "norm" to us.
DeleteOh K., I hope everything is alright up there, because it's awfully white outside my windows right now. At least you have wondrous views & a great studio. And, you're creating some beautiful new items. I love the way you photographed them, too - rocks make for some attractive displays.
ReplyDeleteAs for myself and this weather... well, you know I am no fan of snow... so, I've just been hiding away. Wish I could hibernate till April!
Best to you and yours...