Thursday photo prompt: Snowfall #writephoto
It had been warm for most of December and the bulk of January. Warm enough to find myself picking ticks off my dogs. In January when I normally don’t have to worry about ticks and fleas and other noxious bugs in the weeds.
I sprayed them all down with tick poison and ordered collars for all of them. Apparently part of our “new climate” is having to protect the pets from ticks all year round.
There are not supposed to be any bugs — any kind of bugs — in the grass in January. By now, we should have a hard freeze that will last at least a month or longer. Instead, we’ve had a few cold days, then overnight, a warm wind will blow from the south and suddenly, it’s sweater weather.
From the south?
What happened to the cold north wind, referred to by the weathercasters as “the Montreal Express” because it brought bitter winds and snow from our northern neighbor? Canada has been having weather as peculiar as ours. If anyone wants to know about climate change, he or she has but to look out the window.
We are in it.
It’s happening now.
A fellow blogger in Germany has not needed a winter coat until the last couple of days and spring shows up in Switzerland in February.
I don’t know what is going on around here. The birds have stopped migrating. The bears are not hibernating. The ocean is warm inviting sharks and whales to come much closer to shore than they normally do.
Waiting on the Toad for a chance at the feeder
We got two days of bitterly cold weather, snow, sleet, and freezing rain on Sunday and Monday. One cold (but not as cold) day on Tuesday and today, it’s 50 degrees (10 Celsius) and it rained away the ice and snow. But not to worry. The temperature is supposed to drop low tonight a freeze and liquid left on the ground.
Our house is damp and parts of it are rotting from too much rain. We’ve had more rain this spring and winter than ever recorded and it’s not over yet.
Is it climate change? Can you think of anything else it could be?
Share this:
Categories: #Birds, #Photography, Blackstone Valley, climate change, Nature, snow, Weather, Wildlife
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
The weather seems to be getting crazier every year. Warmer and longer summer this year, now winter started early and it’s more bitter than usual without the usual thaws. As for ticks, I keep kitty Midnight in flea/tick collars all year round these days and even using Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent on his clothing, Dan still manages to find ticks from spring through early winter after being outdoors. Climate change is real! Ugh…
LikeLike
Real and not going away anytime soon.
LikeLike
I think the weather will be whatever it chooses. Maybe climate change, who knows for sure. Best is to be prepared.
LikeLike
Yes, but it IS changing very fast and we are NOT prepared.
LikeLike
Thank you for such delightful bird pictures, Marilyn. Mother Nature can be blamed and famed all in one scene.. xx
LikeLike
I love the birds, but looking out into the cold, I’m really glad I’m not one of them!
LikeLike
We’ve only just got a dusting of snow and a few bitter days of cold so far… but the lambs are in the fields, the daffodils are about to flower and winter is, apparently, yet to come…
LikeLiked by 1 person
We went from tick and flea weather to the coldest week we’ve have in 50 years, but NEXT week it’ll be back up to 50 degrees. What?
LikeLike
Thanks for the photos, which brighten this strange winter. For me the biggest sign of concern is the bears, who seem to still be wandering around. We have had a family in our area for the past three years, and the cubs (now almost two year olds) are still up and about. Not a good sign.
LikeLike
It has been too warm too often for them to hibernate. No, not a good sign and worse ones are coming. Saving our planet should be THE number one agenda for every country, but it isn’t … and without a dedication to fixing what we broke, I don’t know what will become of this world.
LikeLike
Up and down just like a yoyo….
LikeLike
Getting cold again. No frozen ground!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is going to hard on our rose bushes. Not enough snow for protection and all this freezing and thawing.
LikeLike
You can wrap them in burlap. I’m told that helps.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a bit late for that now. I did pile up a little soil around the grafting bud. I hope that will be enough.
LikeLike
I have no idea what’s going on, but SOMETHING sure is. I moved up north in the winter of 2013, and as usual for northern Utah, there was a LOT of snow (feet and feet), it was bitterly cold, and nobody was out and about unless they were layered in lots of woolies, hats and gloves, thick winter coats etc. For the next four years (2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017), we got virtually nothing. Not much snow, it wasn’t all that cold (Utahans ((like me anyway)) consider 45-50 ‘shirt sleeve’ weather, might wear a light jacket or sweater outside but no big thing. This year we’re snowed in again. It’s so cold that I’m actually using my fireplace (which both Huny and I appreciate greatly I can say), and I’ve been cold since late November when this all started. It’s NORMAL. But I can definitely see the change and I suspect the winters will continue to get milder and milder. I don’t find that particularly comforting either. My sympathies on your mild winter…I hope no flooding occurs!!
Onto something else, non-related. You asked for recipes for canna-butter in one response you made. At least I hope it was you or this could be quite awkward. Anyway. Here’s a link to a site that offers five recipes, from simple to more complex (although ‘simple’ is rather misleading in my opinion).
https://www.ncsm.nl/english/information-for-patients/cannabutter-oil-recipe
LikeLike
No, I was absolutely asking for a recipe. Of course, I have to come up with the money for the stuff to put in it, but I’m hoping maybe next month I can come up with the funds. Hoping, anyway. I’ll go look.
Thank you. I think I can manage that. I’ve got to find a way to get the pain level down so I can sleep a whole night. It has gotten really BAD.
LikeLike
We haven’t had the feet of snow we usually get the first of December, instead, horrific storm with 140 k winds and rain streaming down windows as if in a horror movie. I’m with you Marilyn. Crazy changed weather patterns! It’s like living on the North end of the Island.
LikeLike
It leaves you not having ANY idea what to expect. The weather people don’t know much more that I do!
LikeLike
No, they don’t and it can be quite entertaining, watching them try to make sense of it, mwhaha
LikeLike
Our favorite guy — who is usually dead accurate — murmured “You think there might be some climate change?”
LikeLike
lol Maybe just a little? haha
LikeLike
I think climate change must have something to do with all this unusual weather. It is so hot here in South Africa we don’t know what to do with ourselves.
LikeLike
It’s too hot there, not cold enough here or in Europe. No snow in Utah, but Colorado is okay. The weather is totally random with temperatures rising and dropping and too much or not enough rain. Fires. Drought. Floods. Bugs.
LikeLike
What a joy! Beautiful. Birds are gift from God.
LikeLiked by 1 person
With wings and everything!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Things are weird … in so many ways.
LikeLike
Nopes!
LikeLike
I can’t think of an alternative either.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLike