Heidi Chronicles: Dreaming of Spring

Ruth,

Glad you enjoyed the pics. Even though they are grainy - except on Terese's monitor, that is - I figured maybe folks would enjoy seeing them again after all this time.

Ah, the jowls. I would never have guessed that. I added that one to my favorites and bookmarked it, too. Very cute.

Heidi looks so lovely for such an old gal. LOL, it must be your monitor, really!
It is really ~sweet~ that Petey is still such a 'pet' even though he has been gone for much of the winter and probably knows by now that the other humans do not like him and do not run soup-kitchens for raccoons.

I went to the kitchen for something around 11 and stopped to check the back door while I was so close. There was Heidi standing around at the door. It was clear from the way she was standing that I had not just managed to get there at the same time as she but rather that she had been standing around at the door waiting for me to show up.

When I turned the light on, she started to walk along the edge of the house to an area beside the patio where she feels safe amidst the camellias. I called her name as she was walking away, and instantly she turned around and returned to the door where I was standing.

I had to go out to the car to get another bag of kibble. I had forgotten to bring them in from the trunk. I told her I would be back and headed out hoping she wouldn't give up on me and leave before I could get back. Widget and Cocoa had to go out with me, more things to slow me down. In the front yard as I turned the car alarm off and back on it made that 'tweat tweat' sound that alarms make. Then there was the sound of me slamming the trunk.

I figured the raccoons on the back patio would hear all these noises out front and run back to the safety of the forest, if they hadn't given up on me and left already. Coming back inside I had to stumble over Cocoa a few times. He was intentionally getting in my way because he wanted me to sit in the foyer and play with him. When I finally got back to the kitchen there Heidi was still there, her head peaking over the bottom of the door at me along with 2 youngsters.

I was sitting across the room from the back door opening the bag and scooping up their food where the raccoons could see me and I them. From time to time when Heidi disappeared from the door, I would call her name, and immediately her head would reappear. It was interesting to observe and so clear that she absolutely recognized and responded to her name just as well as any pet.

Outside, I put food in Heidi's dish and called her. Then I stood with my foot jammed up against her dish while filling the others. I knew she would find that a bit uncomfortable. I was curious how she would respond. Undaunted, she grabbed her dish firmly with both hands and moved it back about a foot from my leg where she put it down and began to eat - almost as if to say, "THIS is where I like to eat."

I put out 5 places. The last time I checked there were 4 raccoons eating. While out there I had also given Heidi an egg and broken up a Laribar for the youngsters to share.

LOL, Juney!

About the monitor - and the soup kitchen.

You know, it's really a measure of how far we've all come together with this saga that no one is suprised to hear that Heidi seems to understand when you talk to her. Yes, I know that Heidi is exceptionally smart and perceptive. But this is a totally wild raccoon, who scared you witless in the beginning and the feeling probably was mutual. Now she responds to your voice as if she understands you, trusts you in very close contact with her young, and waits several minutes through strange noises while you bring her food in from the car. And we all find this perfectly normal: wow. Whatever else is going on in all our lives, we are sharing an everyday miracle through your words.

Ditto!

:-)

Ruth,

So sorry I forgot to respond yesterday to your wonderful post. After all this time it is easy to just accept that this is all normal behavior for Heidi and the others. Thank you for reminding us all how very wrong that is.

When I tell Heidi things other than "it's ok", I don't really expect her to understand my words. I do that with animals in the hope that by speaking the words (for myself), other aspects of my demeanor will convey some measure of the meaning. It's something I do more 'just in case' and not so much expecting any real results.

With Heidi it seems to work though, either that or she figures things out for herself which is also quite possible. I think it's incredible even that she recognizes her name (and only her name) and responds to it so readily. That conveys at least 2 things, both that she knows that sound refers to her and that she is willing to come when called.

The other night I really did expect them to leave before I could get back. First there was the amount of time I was gone. I forgot to mention that I also had to wait for Widget to 'go'. Then there was the noise. Those very same sounds, car doors and trunks slamming, alarms tweeting, etc. out at the street are sounds which prompt the raccoons to run to the forest whenever I'm at the buffet with them. Thus it was surprising to see that when they were on the patio (closer to the sounds even), the same sounds didn't phase them. It seems as though they understood (perhaps through scent) that it was me out front making those noises. They are incredibly smart animals.

Even when Heidi moved her bowl in response to my experiment, she could easily have carried it off the patio and into the shrubs where she might have felt more comfortable, but she didn't. She chose to only move it about a foot, just enough to give her the same personal zone she expects the other raccoons to observe (except her kits, of course, and then only until they are yearlings).

It really is all quite amazing. Thanks for reminding us.

Thanks, Liz & June!

I just went to the kitchen for something. As usual, I walked into the breakfast area on my way to check for the raccoons. As soon as I came around the bar and into sight of the door, I saw that cute little face, that one familiar youngster who always waits at the door with Heidi. He/she was so adorable, its face framed by the panes of the glass door.

"Sweetie!" I said in the same kind of excited voice one uses for favorite pets that have been gone for a day or two. "Sweetie, hold on. I'll get you something." The words flowed so naturally from me. The face in the door was cute, and I was so happy to see him/her. I had taken the night before off, intentionally avoiding the raccoons. They had almost certainly seen me moving about the house, but I had avoided going to the door to look for them and/or turning on the outside light. Tonight the youngster was standing with his little face right up against the door as if to insure that I would have to see him if I came into the room. It worked to. I saw him/her peering in at me even w/o the outside light and even before I got anywhere near the patio door.

As soon as I started talking to the youngster and sat down in my chair to scoop up food, Heidi appeared at the door, having walked there from over by the camellias where she had apparently been hiding. "Heidi!" I spoke to her in much the same voice. It was interesting to note that they responded in a positive manner to that high pitched voice, a voice which under normal circumstances would have been frightening to them, but they have been around me long enough now to know the exited uttering of a pet person and realize at least in this situation it's a prelude to dinner. In the 1st 4yrs or so of our interactions I had to take care to speak softly and calmly to avoid scaring them away.

I took them some kibble along with a container of fat and 'jello' I had been saving for them from a pork roast. I know fat isn't usually considered a good thing, but for raccoons in winter, I figure it's pure energy in its most compact form, something they rarely get too much of. It was only about a cup of the stuff including the natural gelatin, a protein rich substance. I had saved it in part remembering how little Petey had run straight to the pork ribs and fat that time last summer and how much he had enjoyed them.

The whole pork fat & gelatin thing had congealed in the shape of the container. I had planned to dump it into a dish but now as I stooped there, 5 very hungry raccoons milling around me and wondering where the food was, it refused to budge from the container no matter how forcefully I tried to dump it. Having no spoon and seeing that the container was not about to give up its treasure w/o help, I had no choice but to rap the container of fat hard against the bottom of the dish. Still it did not budge.

I should reiterate that even as I was doing this, raccoons were close all around me, and Heidi and Petey were sticking their noses up to me and the food. I was concerned that making such extreme violent motions and noise might scare them all away, but I had no choice, so pounded the plastic container into the dish about 5 times as hard as I could w/o breaking it. I pounded until the congealed, container shaped mass finally dropped from the container.

Only then did I look up to see if any raccoons were still around. Some of the more timid youngster had likely hidden behind shrubs. Even the one that normally waits for me at the door had disappeared momentarily, but Heidi was still standing about a foot away from me waiting impatiently for her food, and Petey was right there in front of me and already reaching into the dish to grab the pork before anyone else could get it. He took the pork off to one side where he ate it hiding from the other raccoons to eat in peace as he always did when given meat or something else he didn't want to share. There was no room for doubt about how happy that glob of pork fat had made him.

Great photos of the little cuties peeking in your door. It is truely amazing that they have developed such a trusting relationship with you. I loved seeing that photo of Rupert again. She was the cutest ever with that clown nose.

Last night about 9PM I was in my kitchen washing dishes and heard some hissing coming from the side of the house where I have been putting out dry food for my stray cat. I peeked out and just caught a glimpse of a black tail. This morning when I got up about 6AM and opened the front door to let Simon out, there was a big fat raccoon walking right down the middle of the street. Now I'm thinking that the black tail belonged to a raccoon instead of my feral cat. I have a feeling it was hissing because Simon was outside at the time and it must have seen him and wanted to warn him away from the food. Guess not all the raccoons around here are smart enough to be hibernating for the winter. This one looked like the same one I saw walking down in the ditch a few weeks ago.

Hi Susan (lincoln),

That sounds like bad news for you right now since you want to put food out for the feral cat(s). From what I've read raccoons 'hibernate' in really cold weather and especially when their is a lot of snow out. Unlike bears they only do this for brief periods of time when conditions are particularly bad not the entire winter. They do this in part because of the difficulty of finding food under all that snow. Unfortunately, your raccoon now knows where to find food that is readily available and easy to reach despite the snow. She will very likely continue to return in search of food and will eat all that you put out in the area.

That is a serious bummer. I had a similar problem when I was putting food out at the front door for the cats back when they, Cocoa especially, were to wild to come inside. Once the raccoons became aware of the food at the front door, I had to switch to sitting out there with the cats while they ate which was fraught with problems. I was very glad when I could finally begin to feed the cats inside - even though initially I had to do so on the foyer rug just inside the door, the only place where Cocoa was comfortable initially.

I don't even know what to suggest other than maybe putting the food out later in the day when/if your schedule allows. Raccoons are more likely to be out and about in the morning and late afternoon, less so at midday and very early in the afternoon although there is nothing to stop the raccoon from coming out even then once it learns that food is available. Have you seen the B&W cat lately? The arrangement you and she had at one time where you put food out for her in the mornings and she knew to be their waiting sounds like a good one now with the raccoon lurking about in search of food. I realize though that that method of feeding the B&W had its problems as well. I'm very sorry to hear of this major upset to your plans for feeding the cats.

At this point a cat sized cage trap might be another idea. Even if you don't want to trap the cats, you might use one to feed the cats. The raccoon will probably be reluctant to enter the smaller, cat-sized enclosure. Of course, there is no guarantee of this, plus a wily raccoon will probably figure out how to lift the cage to dump the food out. Raccoons are nearly impossible to foil, unfortunately.

Tonight the 4 youngsters showed up w/o Heidi. That one same youngster was waiting for me at the door as always. I love the looks they give me when I 1st show up. When I went outside with the food, several of the them came close up around me. Some of the more timid ones are starting to feel more comfortable around me now. The 1st time I checked back (after coming back inside), all 4 youngsters were eating, but Heidi was no where to be found. The 3rd and last time I checked, Heidi was finally out there, too.

I'm feeling down right now. I'm sure it's largely hormonal and will pass. Having trouble making myself do anything. Can't even write anything descent now. I just ramble for a while and then get tired and loose interest before I've made a point.

To add a note of humor, I have now managed to accomplish being both hot and cold at the same time. I've done it a few time snow. That's quite an accomplishment, don't you think? I didn't even realize it was possible. I'm not talking about anything as simple as being warm but with cold feet. Nor am I talking about something resulting from an illness such as the flu. No, I'm talking about being so hot and miserable that my hair hangs around my face in sticky 'dreads' and sweat is dripping off my chin even as I'm shivering from a chill - and 30min later I'm fine again. It's not like one part of my body is hot and another cold either. It's impossible to explain, something you must experience for yourself (although I don't really advise it), but at such times, although it defies logic, I am somehow both miserably hot and freezing cold all over at the same time. Well, no one said this would be fun - or easy. And no one said it would make sense.

It's called menopause - hot flashes!

Hi Jeannie!

I'm guessing you must have missed our earlier discussions on the subject. I wasn't sure whether I had held those OT chats here or in the cat thread, but I thought it was here. Anyhow, yes, I realize I'm experiencing the unfortunate effects of menopause. Wish you had been around when the symptoms 1st started as I really was confused back then, having no idea what was going on with me.

I've heard people describe being very hot and being very cold but never at the same time. That's a new low for me. I know what to do when I suddenly get hot - turn up the A/C, turn on a fan, take off clothes, stuff an ice pack or bottle of frozen water in my bra, etc. I know what to do when I suddenly get cold - turn up the heat, get out the heating pad, put on a sweater, etc. But for the life of me I haven't a clue what to do when I am suddenly hot and cold simultaneously. Thank goodness that one usually doesn't last very long, as there seems to be no ready solution.

I figure my current and hopefully temporary case of the blahs is also a hormonal issue. I figure that must be part of the mood swing symptom. I'm actually feeling a bit better now than I was earlier in the day.

Thanks for the info.

Yes, DOS, I missed those earlier discussions :)

Actually, it was late last night when I posted, and it just struck me in a weird way I guess. I myself started menopause when I was just 38, so it may not be too early for things to start going 'out of whack' for you. I'm sure stress does not help the situation any. Hopefully when things get back to normal, so will your body!

Another OT public service announcement compliments of the Emergency network:

The gov will no longer be using that color-coded terror threat system. You know, yellow, orange, red. They found that no one really knew with any specificity what the colors meant or what actions one should take for each. They are going to implement a new system over the next 90 days - this one using shapes, round, square, trapezoid, rhomboid. Ok, kidding about the shapes, but the rest is true.

Jeannie,

There is more I would like to say/discuss on the subject, but after making a few failed attempts this morning have decided to wait until later in the afternoon to do so. The past few days I really seem to be in a particularly bad hormonal slump. While in this state, I find I am less out of it in the late afternoon and evening at which time I have more energy and enthusiasm and can better express myself. Will post a more detailed response at that time.

Cheryl, I too went through the simultaneous hot & cold nonsense at points during menopause. Not much to enjoy about the whole menopause experience, but that little glitch was one of the most annoying.

Oh Boy... something to look forward to. So far, from what i can recall.. i've only had the COLD once. it was literally painful. the heat i can deal with ... but that bone rattling cold, can't get warm no matter what you do - COLD... wow, not fun.

I recall my mother stating hers from start to finish was about 10 yrs. I chatted with a gal last winter, who said she went thru her's in about 3 months.

Hold on to your hats, this could be a bumpy ride.
I know a woman who still carries her own weather pattern at age 74.

I have this local Opossum ... i've been seeing it a lot lately during the daylight hours... maybe because the coyote roams at night??

anyhoo -- it is living in a den, possibly made by our invasion of Muskrats ... the den is in the side back of a retention pond
I went out earlier to feed the birds, and always leave a pile under the bird feeder which the squirrel chewed up ... the squirrel swings from it spewing the seeds on the ground anyways... so i just dump them there for the birds and critters.

I just saw the Opossum waddle on over and making a lunch out of the nice seeds and nuts. It is a very dark critter, almost black body, white-ish face with a black vertical stripe down the forehead.

just glad i was able to provide a nice meal for it.

Hi Terese,

How nice that you've been seeing the opossum lately and were able to provide some food for him/her. As cold as it has been in your area lately, I'm sure that was a much appreciated treat for the opossum. I think the darker colored opossums and the med gray ones I've seen in pictures from other regions are cuter than the whitish ones I often see here.

Oh, yes, I am well aware of the trials and tribulations of trying to feed birds in an area frequented by squirrels. I did battle with the squirrels for a few years here before I finally graduated to one of those feeders with springs that use the squirrels weight to close the feeder ports. The squirrels routinely threw more seeds on the ground than they ate. I watched one day as a squirrel sat on the feeder stuffing his face while periodically tossing seeds down to a host of birds and squirrels on the ground below. The squirrel actually appeared to be doing this intentionally.

The squirrel wasn't even afraid of me either. He/she would sit on the feeder and dress me down verbally even as I approached to within about 18in of him/her. The squirrel actually called my bluff as I was afraid to go any closer. I had gone over there to scare him and he had turned the tables on me. I walked away in shame leaving the squirrel to enjoy his meal and continue tossing seeds on the ground.

I'm not sure the squirrel is actually responsible for the damage to the feeder though. I thought the squirrels were damaging mine also, but I later came to the conclusion that what I was seeing was a combination of squirrel/raccoon/opossum damage. The squirrels consume massive quantities of seed, toss a lot of seed on the ground, and spend so much time monopolizing the feeder as to make it virtually inaccessible to birds, but I believe (in my case, at least) most of the damage is actually done by opossums and/or raccoons who raid the feeder at night. The weight of these larger animals bends poles and wrecks feeders. Since the squirrels feed by day, we are much more likely to see them at work and to blame them for all feeder issues.

Just FYI, while the squirrel proof feeders really worked (great) and while it was hilarious initially to watch the antics of the acrobatic squirrels as they attempted to foil the feeder, I can't recommend this option for you. The squirrel proof feeders, the type I used and described above, cost $40-70 depending on size, and while they stop squirrels in their tracks, they are no match for raccoons and opossums. Raccoons in particular quickly learn to hang upside down from the pole to circumvent the springs and eat their fill, but the bigger problem is that while hanging from the feeder and trying to figure out how to get to the seeds (since their weight closes the ports), raccoons and opossums very quickly stretch and damage the springs rendering the feeder useless.

Your idea of just putting the food on the ground where it is going to end up anyhow seems wise. As for feeders to use under these circumstances, I think Trois had the right idea here. A flat platform feeder hung from a limb allows squirrels, birds, raccoons, and opossums equal access w/o damaging the feeder. I think that's the best compromise. Don't try hanging it from or attaching it to a pole though unless you use a very strong pole anchored in cement. Otherwise, the big critters will bend or break the pole in short order. Like I said, I did battle with all of these guys for years and tried everything.

Congrats on seeing your opossum friend.

Ruth,

Thanks very much for that information. I was curious to know if others had experienced the totally illogical dual hot-cold thing. I sort of figured they had. It's interesting to know for sure and to hear it 1st hand. It's a crazy time, for sure. I've been through a lot in my life. I never thought it might be menopause that would drop me in my tracks.

I've decided if I survive this I can survive anything. In that it causes your body and mind to attack you from the inside, menopause is much more formidable than is often appreciated. It has always been my incredible perseverance and strength of body and mind which has allowed me to endure difficult things. Now these very things on which I've learned to depend in difficult times are not always available to me.

Cheryl -- i've looked into those feeders, and true, they are not cheap.

since i have these feeders 'out back' -- i get the cheapo plastic ones.
the one in question -- 'someone' chewed a huge hole in the roof, and broke off the clip that held the 'roof' on [it hinges to let the humans in to fill it] that one is still hanging. I have another one, that 'someone' chewed the rope/hanger off... so now it sits on a table 'outback' -- the birds still eat from it, as i'm sure other critters do at night... but so far, no one has taken the lid off.

The past 4-5 nights now, i've seen a raccoon, last night 2 of them running the highway fence line... Buddy goes nuts. There were tracks in our back yard too... which is a first that i've even seen. Up and over the chain link fence, under the sun room, around the patio, then over the other side of the fence and down to the pond. Figured it had to a coon, as it climbed the fence - then the paw size... big feets.

and even though i really wanted to leave some kibble out... i knew that was not a good idea, in our yard... so i put some kibble way out back -- where i know the neighbor dog can't get to it.... only critters that crawl and are small enough. [local cats, probably the coyote could squeeze in there, the opossum and other rodents...but i'm hoping the Coons find it tonight.

Cheryl, yep, you've nailed the most annoying aspect of menopause: it's your own body causing the misery. Think of it as an early preparation for the process of getting old, during which parts of the body just seem to quit on you, or hurt like h... Whoever said getting old is not for sissies was right!

OK, I am astounded. All of the hot & cold flashes are a *good sign* for decreased breast cancer risk. Check this out: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/cancer/story/2011/01/Study-ties-hot-flashes-to-lower-breast-cancer-risk/43056184/1

Ugggg. i had 2 bouts of the "chills" last night... when i woke up this morning, i felt like i was hit by a train.

I think it's 'coon' mating season. there has been a big one, i'm assuming male as he does look pretty big even out my upstairs window... a few times, including last evening -- like before 7pm [i never see them that early] - he was crossing the street. then when DH and I were leaving to go out - maybe 7:15ish... you could hear that 'cat fight' off in the distance.

So true, Ruth,

So true.

Terese,

I am very sorry to hear that you are feeling bad, especially the part about waking and the train. I wake feeling lousy often these days and have been fighting a blue mood a lot lately. I am sorry to hear it (the feeling lousy, that is) is also happening to you, BUT it is actually helpful to hear that someone else is experiencing similar symptoms - because it helps to confirm that all the stuff that is going on with me now is menopause. Before I started down this menopause path, I was always fine, good mood, rarely sick, woke ready to greet the day, yaddah, yaddah. Now, 1/2 the time I'm just treading water trying to survive until I get to the shore - and it had better not be a 10yr swim away either. Hope you felt better as the day wore on and that you won't have those chills again tonight.

I can't believe it's that time already, with the raccoons, but when I did the math, it came out about right for kits to start showing up around May/June.

June,

That is interesting. But, honestly, it's difficult for me to be very excited about any of this still. My symptoms have at times been so bad that, as I stated above, I'm treading water trying to get through it more so than really living. The worst part of all for me is how these symptoms make it even more difficult for me to work - and thus to survive. I sure hope this ends soon, very, very soon. My Mom had few symptoms and was over the whole thing rather quickly. Hoping...

The raccoons were out there tonight when I went to check on them. I hadn't seen them for 2 days. I've been falling asleep very early the past few nights and thus missed them. Yesterday, I cooked a single chicken breast to flavor a pot of gumbo. That chicken breast was more precious than gold. As it was cooking, Widget sat at the kitchen door and Kitty napped on a chair at the bar, both waiting for some. I wanted to give them a taste, and I also wanted to give some to the raccoons - and it was only 1 piece of chicken.

I cut the meat off the bones and chopped it for my soup. Then I carefully pulled all the icky stuff off the bones, tiny pieces here and there of meat that has the wrong texture, little bits from between the rib bones, cartilage from the bones, and so forth. I put the stripped down bones and skin in a container in the fridge for the raccoons and divided those tiny bits of meat and cartilage into 2 dishes, 1 for Widget and 1 for Kitty. Both were thrilled, btw.

Tonight along with their kibble I gave the raccoons their portion of that chicken. The youngsters were all over me, vying for position as soon as I stepped outside. I gather they could smell the chicken, and they all wanted it. I wish I had been able to offer them more, but it was great to see how much they enjoyed what I did have for them.

In the end, I really got my money's worth out of that one piece of chicken. That much is for sure. I got maybe 1.5 cups chopped chicken breast for my gumbo. That will feed me for a week probably. I got the wonderful feeling of calling Kitty to her chair for an unexpected treat - with no trick (Kitty always thinks there's a trick.). I got the equally wonderful feeling of giving Widget a little, and then tonight I got the enjoyment of seeing the excitement on the raccoons' faces as they vied for the bones. Yep, I definitely made that piece of chicken work hard and go a long way.

Wow. Crazy, crazy weather here. I just got up to take Widget out - actually he woke me. It's 70F outside right now (3:30AM) and the wind is kicking up outside something fierce. What season is this?

That is some strange weather! I am hoping that the really cold stuff doesn't blow your way.

we are literally buried in snow. literally!!

on the news they say OHare got 17+ inches... we are close enough that i can say we got the same, and it's still coming down.

we have 4+ foot drifts. we are not even going to try to 'shovel out' until this afternoon, once it stops. we could get another 5 inches.

I wrote that last post quickly in the few minutes I was up before going back to bed. I was surprised and even a bit concerned by the strange weather especially as I knew that a snow and ice storm was supposed to be moving across the country at some point soon. I had checked repeatedly and could find nothing to indicate that we would be getting that icy weather; however, I've seen things change at the last minute more than a few times where weather is concerned. On some maps it does look as though the icy region comes close enough to cover the western tip of SC. It wouldn't have to move over very much to reach us.

Our weather last night was bizarre for the time of year and considering that it has been cold here lately although not freezing - but certainly nothing like 70F for an overnight low. In addition to being so warm outside, the wind was whipping everything about mercilessly. It almost seemed as though a Cat 1 hurricane were coming through. The cats even got out of bed and ran to hide. In retrospect, I'm thinking that strange weather we experienced last night had something to do with the cold front that was moving up through the country. It must have pushed that layer of warm air along with it - on the outer fringes where we were.

After I got back in bed I began to feel bad about posting that. I had done so just because I was confused and concerned by the strange weather, but then I got to thinking about how those of you in the path of the ice/snow storm would be getting really cold weather and lots of snow - and then reading my post and probably wanting to flog me. Sorry. That definitely was not my intent in posting that.

I truly feel for those of you in the path of that snow storm. Those few really cold (for us) periods we had this winter, when temps were well below anything we are used to, even though nothing like what some of you are receiving, still helped me to be much more empathetic. When I saw that yet another snow storm was going to make it's way across the country, I cringed at the thought (and COST) of really cold days and nights and possibly more snow and ice, more days stuck at home. I sure hope that thing isn't coming here, and I feel deeply for those in its path.

Cheryl --- Want some??

here is what greeted me and Buddy when i tried to take him out this morning... and could not open the kitchen door, so we went out thru the garage.

Wow, Terese,

That picture at the door is just incredible for someone like me who has never seen more than an inch or two at most. Thanks for posting those. Actually, I would LOVE to 'play' in that carpet of fresh snow out front for a little while. Then I would like to find a fresh spot where I could scoop up a gallon or so for the freezer. I love snow cream. But, no thanks. I don't think I want the rest of what goes along with the snow. You can keep it, but thanks very much for thinking of me!

Just one question. This is based on that back door photo. When you go out to walk the dog or otherwise walk around, do you walk on top of that 2ft layer of snow or sink down into it? Do you have to wear snow shoes to walk in that? Or do you dig/clear a path down to ground level first? What about the dog? Does he walk on top or 'fall' through? Is there any risk of the dog falling in and suffocating if the snow is taller than him? There is so much I just don't know about snow. It's like a total mystery to me.

Hope you can just 'take the day off', play in the snow, eat some snow cream (use non-caloric sweetener), and just be a kid for a day. Maybe you and Alex and your DH can build a snow man and have a snowball fight. I'm hoping you can enjoy the snow today and by some miracle it will all be gone tomorrow. Thanks again for the photos.

Thanks, June,

I have been hoping and praying the same thing ever since I 1st saw that another storm was coming through. Fearing the worst, I searched for information from a number of sources when I 1st heard about the storm. But it actually looks like this storm will miss us. Unless things change, and like I said above it's quite possible where weather is concerned, from everything I've seen, we are not supposed to be involved in this one.

In fact, it's 72F and sunny right now, and our entire 10day forecast looks much the same, upper 60's through mid 70's every day. Yesterday I noticed that my daffodils are all up now. It's as if spring is here already - and I am definitely NOT ready for it as I have a lot of maintenance to do in the garden still, things that need to be done BEFORE things start to green up, put on leaves, and grow like crazy. (Those in the path of the storm, please don't hate me. I'm just reporting what is. Actually, I would prefer to stay in the low 60's a while longer.)

Thanks again. I, too, hope the storm doesn't change paths and bite me after all.

This message was edited Feb 2, 2011 1:34 PM