We're Crying Uncle!
Alexandra, please contact me. You’re the alternate winner of the battery and charger from Sanyo! I need your mailing address. fivecoat@ozarkmountains.com
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When I was really small, I used to go into my older brother’s room while he was listening to music just to tease him. Steve was 11 years older and like any teen, didn’t want anyone invading his space, especially his bratty little sister.
He would chase me from his room at the back of our small bungalow and usually catch me somewhere near the dining room, lifting my small frame up and carrying me to the front living room where he would lay me on the couch and tickle me until I could hardly breathe, much less say the obligatory “Uncle!”
Steve would finally tire of the game and leave me with my face red and tear stained from laughing so hard. I would be exhausted and ready to do something else. Rarely did he cross the line to make me cry, which of course, usually earned him a scolding from our mother, although I had been the one to start the madness.
I’ve decided that El Nino reminds me of those games my brother and I used to play. They say El Nino is to blame for our colder and wetter than normal weather this year. The cold and snow that visited us at The Little House on Christmas Day was the fun part, the “I want to play!” time.
Like knowing I had it coming after goading my brother into chasing me, January is the time we know we are going to get it. Even January in northern Arkansas can be brutal, so we just try to laugh through it. By the time the end of January rolled around, we were starting to grow weary of the cold and snow.
Nearing mid-February now, the game has gone on long enough and we’re screaming “Uncle!”
We got socked with 9 inches of snow 2 weeks ago and had a couple days of mild weather before winter returned. The big storm that was predicted to come through here last Friday and went on to dump snow on the East Coast last weekend wasn’t as bad here, but we got hit again with about 4 inches on Monday.
I always said when we lived in the city, that if we ever moved from there, it would be to someplace warmer, and until El Nino visited this winter, that had largely been true.
Sure, the first winter we lived at The Little House, we had an 8–9 inch snow that knocked out power for about 3 days and then the terrible ice storm of last year that left us stranded for over a week.
But these incidents were tempered with quick warming periods that allowed me to at least do the laundry and hang it out once every 7–10 days. After nearly two weeks of brutal weather, I finally had to do laundry on Sunday and find places to hang it to dry in The Little House. Hanging it outside gave me only cold, wet clothes.
The weatherman says our normal average temperature here should be close to 50 degrees now. Yesterday, we didn’t get out of the 20s and today, they’re only predicting a high of 32 degrees. The 7-day forecast only shows one day with highs in the 40s and a possibility of sun. There’s a chance of snow again on Friday and Saturday.
We’re done crying, “Uncle,” El Nino! You’ve crossed that line and it’s time for an intervention here. Move on and go back to the confines of wherever you came from, we’re tired of this game and ready for something new.
How about you, readers, tired of winter and getting cabin fever?
Isn't it great that our planet is tipped on its orbit so that we have seasons to look forward to? My personal theory, totally unsupported by any research, is that something large crashed into the earth long, long ago, knocking off the moon and tilting the planet so that it circles the sun tilted. At one side of our year long journey the northern hemisphere has the sun advantage, then on the other side of our big circle it is the southern hemispere's turn.
One of my daughters lives in LA where the weather is always boringly the same except when the rains come. My poor grandchildren never long for spring, never see the glorious foliage of autumn, nor the refreshing beauty of a graceful white landscape beneath a brilliant sky.
I say I would like to live in a warm climate, but you're right, Bertie, having the change of seasons is truly a miracle of nature. I know I would miss the buds of spring and the colors of fall most.
As I read This on a Thursday afternoon,We too are getting seven inches of snow with chance of freezing roads and school closings.This is very strange for north Texas.One thing for shure,We all are looking forward to spring.I can't wait to start my garden and see the little green plants poke out of the soil.Everybody hang in there,summer is comming!
So sorry about the storm, Rick. We saw that on the news last night. I'm looking forward to planting this year too!
We're in the 40's here in Boise. Expecting some rain tomorrow. I'm hoping the snow is gone for good. We're still feeding the wood stove lots of wood. I'm yearning for spring when I can open doors and windows and let the fresh air in.
Oh, yes, opening the windows and smelling the nice fresh air. Heaven.
It just missed us again! Thank goodness. It is bloody cold though. Can't go work out at 5:00 a.m. with it being this cold. You guys are really getting slammed. My in-laws are stuck in snow in Branson. Decided to give my dog a hair cut since can't go anywhere this evening. It actually looks pretty good.
Wish you could come over and groom my dogs!
All the recent snowstorms have skipped us here in northern Vermont! I'm almost envious as we're down to a few inches of icy snow on the ground.
Wish we could order you some!
Today started out gray and overcast and I thought for sure I'd have to light candles to lift my spirits. But lo and behold a couple hours ago the sun emerged, the sky turned brilliant blue and the snow now is sparkling like sugar on gingerbread cookies. It's pretty! (But– I still can't wait till spring!)
Yep, the snow is pretty in the sunlight. We had some today as well, thank goodness!
You know, this winter thing is the main reason I wonder if I could TRULY live in a home as tiny as yours. I love the look of your tiny home,crave one myself and fantasize about it constantly but with 3 of us living here in our SMALL home (and myself a wannabe hermit) I really have to ask myself if I could stand to be in a tiny home with 2 (or even one) other person at least 6 months of the year. I wonder if one has to live in a more hospitable climate, one where a person can spend a lot of time outdoors. Mind you, we do get out some, but as we get older and former activities such as skiing and skating etc. become more hazardous to aging bones, hiking/snowshoeing become the prime outdoor activities and, with freezing temperatures and a constant wind, even these activities are limited. So I wonder — are climates like mine generally inhospitable to really tiny homes where more than one person lives?
I'm really blessed to have a wonderful husband and most of the time, we try to be respectful of each other's space. That being said, he does have his garage and I have my office. I'm not sure how it would work otherwise.
Nice and warm in the Southern Hemisphere at the moment. We've been swimming at the beach most days lately. But come July it will be another matter.
Ah yes, you are on a different side of the world!
Kiwi, seems I remember about Christmas, your end of the world (NZ/Aussie ) was having record heat waves! So you have had to suffer this season too…;-) Enjoy the beach.…ya'll should be headed back to school any day now, right?
Kerri, yes, those "down under" have seasons directly opposite to ours.….though I can put layers on for the cold, but in record heat, can't take enough off.…still need my ac unit running full blast!
We have a winter storm advisory for tonight and tomorrow in my end of Texas.…supposed to go to a workshop 78 miles away tomorrow in morning, we will see if it is a go or not. I will tell this storm to aim above you, Kerri, don't know if it will help or not, but I can try!
Thanks, BJ! Actually, they're expecting this one to track south. Stay safe!
I'm loving El Nino! I live in Atlantic Canada where winter normally runs from November to May (in Canada we say we have 11 months of winter and one month of poor skiing!) This winter has been relatively mild — from our perspective, although we have had some minus 30C (-22F) days. Currently we are –9C (15F) which feels quite mild. Spring planting won't be safe until June, although I think we can really only "count" on July to be a frost free month — and I wouldn't even place all my eggs in that basket. I watch the weather reports from the US, particularly the Big Storm, and cheer on El Nino — sorry. That kind of weather would barely make the evening news here although I understand that it is a big event when you aren't used to it nor prepared for it. And — yes, we DO get cabin fever. In spades. And envy you "southerners" and gnash our teeth when you are out planting your gardens while we are still digging out from under the latest blast of winter. So this year I say "Go El Nino" — but you'll probably still be out planting your gardens while we are slogging about in snowboots and mittens, **sigh**.
Yes, Olivia, I'll remember to give you plenty of stories when we start moving plants outside and planting around May 1.
LOL…and to think at 5am this morning, I was in Wal-Mart buying bedding plants! (I use them for today's science lesson-the bring them home to plant in the cold frames. Didn't get home before dark so I have them on top of a rubbermaid tub by the kitchen window where they can get light. Probably get them settled Saturday along with planting my potatoes.
I think Canada needs to come down for a visit, and get warm.
It's ominously quiet outside today on Cape Cod at 9:18 as I type this. Cape schools have closed. I'm heating up the house in case the power goes out, as has been predicted. Yesterday my husband chopped wood in order to have a full supply. They cannot tell how much snow we will get on Cape Cod, but expect it to be heavy. I love snow, but agree. This year we have had enough cold and ice already. Yearning for spring here .…
At least we're not alone, Alexandra, about 6 million people are right here wishing with us!
Uncle! Uncle!
I am ready for spring.
That's why I and all of your lovely blog readers come to you for the magical, mystical, Little House tour to help with the cabin fever, which I am sure everyone has, especially in the NorthEast.
Kerri, hang in there, it will come, (I hope).
I just hear on the radio as I type this, of some kind of bad weather advisory for us,(Nebraska), I'm afraid if I get some, you will too, I'll try to shoo it somewhere else, but I sure the others don't want it either.
I've finally turned off the radio. I'm tired of the never-ending list of school closings, which has went on and on all week.
Thanks for the reminder, V. I know one day in the not-so-distant future, we'll be complaining about the chiggers and heat!