Weekend Weather

I thought we were expecting rain this weekend, however, as a nice surprise we had sunshine, and plenty of it. We drove down to the city for lunch today. Lunch was a short walk to Panozzo's Deli, a great italian deli with sandwiches and a small store. I got some great pasta while we waited for our food. We were going to go to the Randolph Street Market, but M was on call, and we had to come home after lunch. Since our plans in the city were cut short, I was able to spend some time out in the yard. I sat outback watching the creek, and the birds. The blue jays were jumping on the feeder knocking all the food to the ground. They are messy eaters, but the chipmunks are right there to clean up the mess. It is very nice to be able to sit out in the warm air, and enjoy the wildlife. What a great weekend. And there is still one more day, don't you love 3 day weekends!

Coldest Temps in over 10 years

At least it is pretty outside with snow everywhere. As of yesterday we had about 6-8 inches on the ground. Over night it snowed and it is currently snowing. We went outside to shovel again this morning, the air was still, and quiet. When it snows I love to go outside and listen to the silence. It is the kind of silence that only happens when it snows. That is of course before every fires up the snow blowers. Even though we have lived here for 10 years we don't have a snow blower, we prefer the quiet shovel. Once the snow stops for the day the weather station has forecasted sub zero temps to follow, with a wind chill advisory slated at -30 degrees! The weekend shows a promising forecast of around 24. The snowshoes are calling, and I hope that we can get out and play.



For all of you out there that live in cold climates, stay warm and enjoy the snow.

Coated in ice

Ice everywhere. It coated the roads, the bushes and trees. The tree limbs are heavy under the weight of the ice, as I was writing this a huge limb broke loose and hit the ground with a thud. The noise was so loud that the dog started barking she though someone was on the back porch. The weather was so horrible that the schools were closed. So far we are lucky and still have our power, but others are not so lucky. If you thought Chicago winters could not get any worse, just add the 20 below zero windchill that is to follow this storm. Chicago winters are long and cold, and the temperature swings are outrageous, so if todays weather is not to your liking, there is always tomorrow!
Thankfully, I will be going to warmer weather this afternoon, as long as the flights are not cancelled.
Merry Christmas to all!
Stay warm.

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

Yes, it rained...hard, and for about 2 and a half of of the 5 hours that I sat out at the farmers market. It was sad really. I got there to set up just as the rain started, at 7:30am. Both of my signs were painted by me, and I thought they turned out well. The sign in the back is made from a discarded portion of fencing, and the shopping bag sign is made from an old piece of canvas. Durning the worst part of the rain, the water was collecting on the top of my tent. I used my lint roller to reach it and push it out. Then it would cascade down and drench my feet. Good thing I was wearing my Keen flip flops. My trusty tent kept me mostly dry. There were no shoppers brave enough to face the downpour, but after 10:30 or so there was signs of life. This experience despite the rain was much better than my first visit to the farmers market. I was pretty happy with the way the tent was set up. I will be going back on August 2nd to try again, hopefully with better weather!