I'm Just Saying......

Tonight the thermometer on my screened-in porch reads just below 20 degrees, but for most of the winter we, in western Arkansas, have had spring-like temperatures. It was this cold for about four nights the first full week of December and that was it. Until tonight. In fact, it didn't get above freezing all day today and that was a first for this winter season.

I've been looking at ice and snow pictures across the blogosphere and....there's no other way to put it....I feel left out. Not that I want catastrophic weather events or anything like that, but I would like some real winter weather. I don't want my daffodils to bloom in January, but if Old Man Winter doesn't stick around this time, I will be posting flower pictures soon.

Anyway, I decided to post some pictures of The Ice Storm that hit this area in 2000-2001. I'd never seen anything like it when the storm arrived and, honestly, I don't want to see anything like it again. I like cold weather. I love a good snow. The ice can stay in Antarctica.

This is my drive. I couldn't go anywhere because there were trees completely across it. I couldn't go anywhere anyway. All the roads were covered with ice! Eleven days with no electricity. I had gas for heating and cooking, but no water. I didn't spend the entire eleven days in my house though. My sister lived in town and her electricity was restored before mine so I spent part of the time at her house.

Trees along the road bedecked with their ice jewels.

This is the road running west at the end of my drive. I live about 4 miles from the Oklahoma border. Doesn't this shot make you feel a bit claustrophobic after looking at Vicki's wide open spaces?