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| The little cascade behind our home is totally frozen. |
On Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, we thought we were going to get a very nice snow storm.. However, that didn't happen... Even though our temperatures were below freezing all day long, a warm wind aloft came from the south ---and what did we get instead of snow???? We had an ICE STORM.... Yipes!!!!! The weather people called it everything from ice pellets to freezing rain to sleet.... Whatever it was, we had almost an inch of ice all over our yard! Everything glistened and turned white....It was WEIRD... (Not sure I have ever seen this much ice at one time --at least not here.)
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| A close-up of the Frozen Cascade behind our home |
George, who doesn't like snow, said that he'd much rather have a foot of snow than an inch of ice..... We were concerned that we would lose our electricity ---but luckily, that didn't happen. We did lose our satellite dish (DirecTV) due to the ice for awhile ---so George had to get the hairdryer out and blow the ice off of the dish....(That worked!!!!)
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| The Mealworm Feeder... The Bluebirds were able 'somehow' to get into the feeder to eat--but it wasn't easy! |
We put our bird feeders out at 7 a.m. before the storm began... I was SO glad I had some food for those sweet little chilled birds... It's so sad to see them (any of the outdoor critters) during weather like this... The poor little birds were at the feeders most all day long... Poor Babies!
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| Lots of Ice on one of our Redbud Trees |
Since we have a lot of trees around our yard, we were concerned that some limbs would break... Luckily, other than a few small limbs---we didn't have any damage.
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| Poor Rhododendron Bush; Looks SO cold! |
But--our wonderful Rhododendron near our deck is struggling and 'bending over'.... Hope the limbs don't totally break... I love that big bush. Many trees and bushes in our area have either broken or are damaged... SAD!
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| There were Icicles like this ALL around the house. |
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| Close up of one of our icy branches |
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| Our 'resident' Mockingbird stayed at the feeder for a long long time. I guess --besides eating---he had a little protection under the dome. |
SO--what did I do all day on Monday??? WELL---I took pictures and shared them with many friends on Facebook... I did other computer work --such as blogging. Neither George nor I went outside other than on the deck to put up and then take down the bird feeders. George also worked on the satellite dish from the deck. I did not go outside ---and decided not to go out at all... All I needed to do was to re-injure that bum knee (which is gradually healing). Yipes! SO----I was a good girl and took all of my pictures from inside!!!!
That night, we also sat by a warm fire and ate a big bowl of home-made CHILI for dinner.... How's that for my first post from this crazy week, dealing with this weather???? Guess it could have been MUCH worse though--so we are thankful.
The good news for us is that we truly were lucky---compared to many others in Tennessee (and other areas). Tennessee was under a state of emergency with lots of trees down, power lines down and power out for many, etc.... SO, even though we were lucky, to tell you the truth, this was NOT FUN.
ALL of these pictures were taken on Sunday and Monday (Feb. 15 and 16, 2015)...The top two were taken on Sunday --before the storm, when I was outside. WELL--this is only PART ONE of our "Weather Week to Remember".... I will share more pictures and posts upcoming... We have had a week of Ice, Sleet, Freezing Rain, Snow (yes, we finally got some snow on Wednesday), a tiny bit of sunshine, AND frigid temperatures all week....
AND--the forecasters are predicting another ICE STORM possibility on Friday/Saturday for US... That will be Storm Number Three just this week. I hope they are WRONG about the ICE....
Hope you are all okay wherever you are. As bad as this has been for Tennessee, there are areas around our country/world that are having MUCH WORSE weather than we are having. Prayers and thoughts for ALL.
Hugs,
55 comments:
WOW! Betsy I have never seen anything like this or even heard of an ice storm; You shots are fabulous.Yes the poor birds, just keep feeding them please Stay in and keep warm.
We hit an ice storm in Tennessee in January of '92, driving home from North Carolina. I hope to never be on the road in one again. That was scary!
Glad you two are playing it safe and (mostly) staying inside! Bet all your birds are thankful, too!
My gosh you were lucky, Betsy. When does the thaw start? Any projections. And speaking of thaw, I bet the hair dryer would work on the bird feeders too.
Wow - fabulous ice shots! Stay safe.
Hi Betsy, yes I hope you are careful around all that ice.. The redbuds tree do look pretty with all the ice..Stay warm, have a happy day!
That really is a lot of ice. I am so glad you are staying inside. It is so easy to fall and with that much ice it is inevitable. I am not allowed to go outside in inter without taking my cell phone, so that if I fall I can call for help. Take care, stay safe and warm, and praying you don't have any more bad weather.
Messy storm indeed. I hope the next give you some snow and melts fast.When I first moved to this area we had a 5 day ice storm. I got to meet my neighbor, they didn't have the food I did and came over for a lot of meals. I went out and filmed it each day, checking on the homebound.
Glad your ice storm didn't do much damage at your place. This Arctic air is getting to be a bit much , -29C or -20F here this morning.
Ice for us as well, and we were also blessed to keep power on. Clear skies for us, but cold - a low of 8 this morning. Warm thoughts of spring to you on a frigid day!
Ice is no fun. We've had snow here. Enjoying watching the critters who come looking for food though the deer have been devouring the leaves on the English laurels. Only green thing around for them to eat. I hope the bushes recover come spring. And speaking of which - where is that season? Sure would like it to come early.
Betsy, those ice storms are very worrisome because of the danger to power lines and trees. I hope the weatherman is wrong about another ice storm for you. That picture of the frozen cascade is awesome.
Keep all that icy stuff up there, Betsy! I just want the snow!
I'm glad my Beautiful Bride and favorite Weather Girl has a week to remember. How about predicting some nice warm weather for us?
An ice storm is terrible and your shots look very similar to mine. Chili and a fire sounds like the right way to handle the weather. Per your Facebook shots, it looks like you got your snow fix this week - we had about 1/2 inch
I am with your hubby - as much as I hate snow I really really hate ice so much worse. Makes for some incredible pictures but I'm glad you took them from inside. I'm sure the birds really loved you even more for putting out some food for them. Stay safe and off the ice.
The weather everywhere is amazing this winter!! It has been like Spring here in Portland, lots of sunshine, a few cloudy days but such mild temperatures!! It is nearly 8AM and people are walking by the house without coats???? I hope yours does clear up soon and do take care of your knee!!!
Beautiful but not fun. When I was a kid and lived in Portland, Ore. we would get ice storms and what was called a Silver thaw where the trees would be covered in shiny ice. Beautiful but dangerous. Never had any here and we seldom even get any snow (sad) but I did post some pics of our snow 3 yrs ago.
MB
Wow, that's quite the weather for your area! Ice is tough to deal with as it's so easy to slip and it's so tough to drive on. I'm with George and I'd rather have a foot of snow than ice any day. Stay warm!
Ice storms are so scary. We had a very bad one here around 15 years ago. It hit unexpectedly while aim was at work and I had to drive home in it. George is right, I'll take driving in snow over ice any day. It was terrifying. Please stay inside and safe. I hope those forecasts are wrong about the weekend.
Blessings,
Betsy
I am glad you were both able to stay in, that is a whole lot of ice!! We had NONE, other than the snow that froze on the streets. But it is to be four below zero tonight, actual temperature. My favorite picture here is the empty feeder with the ice all over it. Glad the birds were able to eat from it.
wow betsy, ice storm, i've never seen anything like this before! i can hardly imagine what an ice storm could feel like. but this series of photos help the visual.
stay safe and warm!
big hugs!
So glad you didn't lose power. Ice storms really are pretty if they don't leave you in the dark. When the sun hits the ice in the trees, it looks like jewelry.
My feeder looked like yours, in fact I had to break off some of the really long ice daggers so they could enter.
I was able to get out yesterday but it took three running tries to get back up my drive.
Stay safe and warm.
If it were not for the dangers and destruction,the ice creates a beautiful world.
Gosh, you do need to be super careful if you walk outside on this ice. So far, we haven't gotten much but the coldest chill. Again we are expecting ice, and I think someone even said a chance for a tornado on Saturday. I just assume that person was drunk because that is CRAZY!! Have a wonderful day you two!!
Hi Betsy - wow that is some weather! No ice where we are. It has been a lot warmer than usual with temps up into the 80s. Stay warm!
Hi Betsy, hope you don't get another round of ice. I remember when I lived in Alabama we had a really bad ice storm. Ice destroyed one of our perfect 30 foot pine trees in the front yard. The power went out and I cooked on the fireplace. It was kind of fun pretending I was a pioneer woman. Anyway, hope you don't lose your power and you don't get any more ice.
Well, we didn't have the ice...we had a bit of snow, but not the kind that clings so was disappointed there.
It is bitter, bitter cold here...at least the ice made pretty photography shots.
I need to fill our feeder....there was a glock of at least 50-75 cowbirds out there and they just cleaned it out.
Love the icy photos, but definitely
do not envy your freezing weather. Best thing about that weather is the chili.
We have about six inches of snow. My Mom is an hour away with ten inches. Those colds temps you have are here with us as well and tonight's temps will go below zero again. Our wind chills are dangerously low.
I think we are all ready for spring!
Glad to hear though that both of you are ok. The pictures are wonderful though.
Glad to hear though that both of you are ok. The pictures are wonderful though.
That is bad news to hear how cold and dangerous the ice storms are. Lucky you didn't lose power or have bad tree damage.
The weather sure is crazy. we have two cyclones raging at the moment. One on the north coast of Australia but the other is here on the south east coast of Queensland. The worst is a bit further north than us but we have had wind and rain all night. Luckily its not cold but cooler than usual.There is sure to be flooding somewhere but not near us as we are high.
Ooops sorry I am signed in as the camera club as I'm working on its blog at the same time. Diane
Betsy, We still have a few folks in our village that don't have power. Lots and lots of trees are down along the roads. They had to be totally blocked at times but of course, we just hunkered down. Record lows for you and us as well tonight. Take Care, Dave
Oh, ice is so much worse than snow. I love the snow but ice is another matter.
It does make for nice pictures though.
Hi Betsy, I am hoping all is well for you and for the fine folks in the Glade and in Crossville. I have been monitoring the weather in your area as we still have a rental house and tenant there in FFG. I saw a temperature of 4 degrees a bit earlier this evening and forecast is for -2 degrees F. Yikes! Stay warm safe. I hope your plants do OK. Have a good day tomorrow!
Glad to hear you all kept your electric. We did at our house too but many others faced this nasty cold ice without power or water.
I haven't noticed much damage to our bushes and trees around our yard yet and I like you hope this next storm won't be any worse than this one or maybe it will bring all snow.
Blessings, stay safe and warm
Marilyn
I have to agree with George about the ice and snow. Ice is beautiful, but it can be so deadly on the streets and walkways. It also can wreck so much havoc on power lines and water lines.
Stay put girl until things thaw.
Beautiful photos of the icy world where you are, but I'm glad you were able to stay safely indoors and you kept the power. I feel so sorry for the birds and you did good to keep them supplied with food and a little shelter. Take care both of you and I hope a thaw comes for your area and everyone experiencing extreme weather conditions.
It is crazy, crazy weather this season. It's all turned around. The southern states are freezing and we, here in Montana have been running around in tank tops and shorts for at least a month and half. Nature is lulled into thinking this will last and get a final cold zap in March and that means "no fruit on the trees" this season. My husband's father used to say that the time was coming when the baseball teams would be having their spring training in Canada and I wonder what made him say that because it looks as if he have have been right.
Although the ice is treacherous, it does make some sparkling photos. You show such compassion for the birds. I filled my feeders again yesterday and my chickens have been outdoors all day long.
Goodness yes, be carefull with your knee. I fell on the ice last winter and my shoulder is still complaining.
Whew....you all really were hit with an ice storm. I love the snow, but the ice is way too scary. these photos of the trees are very pretty..Hoping that the ice does not do a lot of damage to any of them. This is a good time for you to rest and let that knee get some good healing time. Stay warm and be careful.. I always enjoy your gorgeous photos...
hugs to you...
Ach!!! I hate the ice. That's bad for trees and bushes. AND George is right....snow is better than ice. Be careful not to slip on that stuff. Nasty! However with that said, pretty pics:)
Those pictures are beautiful but I hate the ice.
My dear friend, I know ice storms are no fun but wow do they make for some incredible pictures!
Well, you certainly made the best out of a cold situation, great pics! I'm so glad you are safe and you didn't lose power. We didn't lose power and just small branches fell. We had lots of hungry birds and squirrels visiting. :)
hugs,
Marie
I agree with George. I'd much rather have a foot of snow than any ice. I hate the stuff. Hope you stay inside where the walking is safe! We have had some sleet and now it is snowing. Sigh. I'm so ready for spring and I just can't imagine how folks out east are coping with all that snow!
I love your wintry photos, Betsy. Take care and stay safe and warm!
I agree with George. I would rather have the snow than the ice too. Ice storms can be so dangerous and it's scary having to drive on that. Around here they don't shut everything down when we get weather like that
Ice like that is not good for anyone. You take care and I hope the big artic blast ends soon. We're colder this weekend and waiting for snow.
Unbelievable! So many ice storms in one week!!! Yes, please stay safe and warm! I'm glad you have a fireplace and are coping reasonably well.
Glad you can post on FB too - we care, Betsy!
Sending prayers for your power to be restored soon. Oh, and your pics are lovely - too bad the ice causes so much damage. :-(
I used to like ice storms because they'd make everything look like it was covered in crystal and when the sun hit it, it would glisten. Your photos are gorgeous, Betsy. However, if the ice storm was too heavy, it caused way too much damage and black ice. Please stay safe. I'm hoping for warmer weather for you.
Oh my goodness you sure got hit there with ice. That looked terrible. I am glad you are out of it and it is over. I do have to say now that it is over - there were some pretty shots.
I agree with George I would rather have snow anytime over ice! Ice can damage so much but it sure was pretty!! Love that big tree ice covered. Yes be careful with that knee
Awe, I feel so bad for ya'll. It has been a week for the record books and I'm praying ya'll get ur power back on soon and things improve. God Bless you both and stay safe and warm. Hugs, xo
We got the snow while you got the ice, I think. I'll be so glad when spring arrives. I hope your Rhododendron survives!
Ice is so beautiful...yet so damaging, and can be so dangerous! I know you guys have been getting some really bad weather, as well as other further NE....I have been warning Mom to stay inside and stay warm & safe (though where she is, it isn't so bad) and I say the same to you two! Take care! Keep shooting from indoors! :-)
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