Angels of rain and lightning! there are spread
On the blue surface of thine airy surge,
Like the bright hair uplifted from the head
Of some fierce Maenad, even from the dim verge
Of the horizon to the zenith's height,
The locks of the approaching storm. Thou dirge
Of the dying year, to which this closing night
Will be the dome of a vast sepulchre,
Vaulted with all thy congregated might
Of vapours, from whose solid atmosphere
Black rain, and fire, and hail, will burst: O hear!
-from "Ode to the West Wind", by Percy Bysshe Shelley
The St. Louis area was hit by the worst ice storm in 30 years Thursday night. According to this local website, 389,657 people in the electrical company's service area are still without power.
I just happen to be one of the unlucky ones; in fact, if one takes into consideration that I got hit with gastroenteritis that same night, the only thing keeping me from applying as a stand-in for Job himself is the fact that my family and I can move in with my mother-in-law. (No, that doesn't qualify as a hardship, you comedians out there). My house is a delightful 54 degrees right now, which makes it perfect for a spelunking adventure, especially after sunset when it becomes an inspiration for Edgar Allen Poe, should he ever wish to write a sequel to "The Fall of the House of Usher." I might also mention that certain makes of cars have a tendency to get stuck in snow, ice and even a half an inch of slush - I am speaking from recent experience, you know. How embarrassing to have to ask my wife, "Could I have a push in ze snow?"
It is amazing what ice does to tree limbs. As I drive around my neighborhood I see twisted and mangled trunks, arms and legs lying in the snow, or leaning against fellow trees like wounded soldiers. Power crews are working around the clock to replace the scores of downed lines. Dozens of warming shelters have been set up for those who have no place to go. Holiday shopping has dropped noticeably. The afternoon air is laced with the scent burning wood and the sound of generators rattling. I drive back to my house once a day to check and see that it is still standing. The water is shut off and the rooms echo with unhappy silence.
The worst thing of all is that now both the dog and I leave our calling card behind whenever we step outside. How mortifying! Where's my copy of that poem by Shelley? Here, take it and read me that last line again, but fast!
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Last really freak ice storm we got in Rhode Island happened in the winter of 1977. Ever see a quad yagi antenna all twisted like a pretzel? I have.
Then of course in February 1978 we got the legendary blizzard. That was fun.
Up until 1996 we had average winters but that year total snowfall was 120" (I believe that's 304.8cm). Since then its been a weird cycle during winter.
Last year it was snow one day, then rain the next with winter temps a few degrees above normal.
This year fall didn't actually happen until late November. And temps during November were a good 20F warmer. Even now, we're up around 45F-50F during the day which for December is very odd.
It figures, last year I bought a pair of yaktrax and haven't gotten to use them yet.
Definitely feel for you regarding the power outage though. We're so dependent on that juice. Time to install a wood stove or buy a decent generator (one that puts out a nice sine wave vs. a choppy square wave at 60Hz.) and a good automatic transfer switch. Yes it'll cost a bit, but you'll have power when others don't.
You'll also have a house full of people. I just felt I should warn you.
Here in the south we are more likely to get hit by an ice storm than a snow storm. There are reasons why we don't drive in it, appreciating the shape of our cars being the most common. Hope you've thawed out and are feeling better soon.
The headlines worry me. I'm relieved that you're still able to locate electricity to write. Take care.
So glad you're okay. I wondered how you had fared, and when I read the post about gastroenteritis, I thought maybe that was the worst of it. I'm sorry that it wasn't.
I'm beginning to wonder if STL has any trees left. I was pretty sure that most of them got broken the summer I was there in 2004 :)
Send the blogosphere's thanks to your mother-in-law. We're glad she's keeping you and yours warm and well-fed.