Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Winter is on its way out.  Groundhog day was one week, one day ago.  It is now less than five weeks to winter’s demise officially.  I have started my countdown to spring.  The weather does not always cooperate but now I can see the end of the tunnel.  Spring is coming.  I will keep that thought in mind even when the frigid weather returns.  Not that there has been much of that.  There wasn’t.  Maybe we will still get a big snowstorm.  It does not matter.  Spring is on its way.  I will keep that in mind.  Winter is on its way out.

Tags: countdown to Spring, frigid weather, Groundhog Day, snowstorm, spring, spring is coming, spring is on its way, weather, winter
Posted in God, life, local, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

It is October 30th and we are already in the middle of our first snowstorm.  I have heard references from others that this is going to be another cold winter.  It is still six weeks from the official advent of winter.  Is this storm the harbinger of things to come.  I hope not.  Winter (and the ensuing cold weather and storms) has become a period I just endure.  Maybe it is high time to consider moving to a warmer climate.

Tags: advent of winter, autumn, cold winter, move, October, snowstorm, warmer climate, winter
Posted in local, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

When I woke up and looked outside our large living room window everything was blanketed by white.  The trees, ground were all covered by white.  In fact, it was a wet snow.  It was just cold enough to snow last night.  The branches of our large white pine in front of our window were bowed down by the weight of the snow.  There were some broken branches lying on the ground.

This was a rough year for that pine tree.  It lost several large branches during at least three storms.  I immediately put out more birdseed when I got up.  This may be the last snowstorm of the year so I took a long look at all the trees and ground.  I may not see such a scene until next year.  It was March 7, so it is possible we may get another such storm but the days were getting warmer and warmer.  This storm had taken us by surprise.

Tags: bird feeding, birds, birdseed, blanket of white, March, snow, snowstorm, trees
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I watched and listened to the Carolina wren, which alighted on a branch just outside my kitchen window.  I stood there for what seemed an eternity and was serenaded by its song.  I had never seen one from that spot or that close up or even heard one.  It was a small gift I was given today.  Thank you.  I hope you can find some food in this snowstorm.

Tags: bird feeding, bird food, bird song, bird-watching, birds, Carolina wren, feed the birds, gift, kitchen window, nature, serenade, snow, snowstorm, thank-you, winter
Posted in beauty, birds, knowledge&learning, local, music, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

There is something comforting about a snowstorm and knowing there is no where else to go and all you can do is enjoy the snowflakes and your house and pets and your wife.

It just started an half an hour ago.  The snow flakes are tiny so I know I am in for it.  I can’t change the weather.  I just did a quick shopping trip not that I was going to run out of anything but I was low on a few supplies.

Tomorrow I will sprinkle some birdseed on the snow.  I already filled the suet.  The woodpeckers and nuthatch will greet me tomorrow.  My sunflowers feeder is still relatively full and I will get a steady stream of titmouse and black capped chickadees.

If the worst possibly scenario presents itself and we lose power, I have plenty of coal.  We will ride out the storm and enjoy all our bird visitors who come to our feeders and our four dogs will frolic in the snow.  Is there any thing better than that?

Tags: bird seed, bird-feeders, bird-watching, birds, black capped chickadee, coal, dogs, feed the birds, lose power, nuthatch, pets, shopping trip, snow, snowflakes, snowstorm, suet, sunflower seed, titmouse, weather, winter, woodpecker, your wife
Posted in animals, beauty, birds, life, local, marriage, nature, pets, seasons, time, wisdom | No Comments »

We had a big snowstorm last night.  The first thing I noticed was there were no suet left on the tree outside.  I immediately put some out and sprinkled sunflower seed on the ground for the birds.

It had snowed over a foot last night.  We were in good shape for I went food shopping two days ago.  I did park closer to the curb so I had less driveway to shovel.

The man from our town was plowing the edge of the road so the local post man could reach into our mail boxes to make his deliveries.  He offered to plow the rest of our driveway.

We had shoveled part of it already.  My wife offered him money but he said he did not want any.  Both of us were thrilled.  It only took him a few minutes to complete the job.  He was an angel.  There is nothing like being in a small town.

Tags: angel, bird feeding, birds, driveway, food shopping, mail box, shovel snow, small town, snow, snow plow, snowstorm, suet, sunflower seed
Posted in birds, God, local, nature, seasons | No Comments »

The area was rife with rumor

I simply waited

I don’t trust weather forecasts

I kept though peering at the sky

Waiting for the first flakes

I even took some

Precautions:

Filled up my tub

With water

An outage

Could demonstrate

How much water

We wasted every day

And assume

Will always be there

Flushing the toilet

Reminds us of this

The supermarkets

Were impossibly busy

Yesterday

As if everyone

Needed bread and eggs

I viewed all this

With sorrow

We all should

Have this problem

Thousands of miles

Away

An country

Has millions

With nothing

They own

But their backs

And many broken

Waiting

Waiting

and despair

Unimaginable

And we are afraid

Of a few flakes

Tags: bread, despair, eggs, flush the toilet, millions of people with nothing, power outage, snow flakes, snowstorm, sorrow, supermarket, tragedy, water, weather forecast
Posted in balance, death, health, knowledge&learning, life, local, money, nature, seasons, time, wisdom | 1 Comment »

A snow storm was coming.  The waitress said, “I don’t care, I don’t work tomorrow, let it snow.”

I overheard another say, that later the snow will be heavy–a few inches an hour.

The person I was sitting next to said, ‘Lancaster will get it worse.’

There were all kind of rumors floating about the oncoming storm.

I heard an fragment of a conversation regarding the policy of gays in the military, “If it is not broke don’t fix it.”  And then, ‘If someone comes out, they will be killed.’

All this while I was enjoying my bottomless cup of coffee.

On the way home I briefly stopped at the shore of the Susquehanna River, as I often do after I stop at the diner, quickly glanced at the River’s surface, which seemed pretty calm.  There was no indication a storm was set to arrive in a few hours.

I saw someone must have  launched a boat in the River.  A truck was parked there.  It must have been a die hard fisherman.  It was bitterly cold and the middle of winter.  I shrugged my shoulders.  I finally went home.

Tags: cold weather, cup of coffee, fisherman, fishing, fishing boat, gays in military, Lancaster, local diner, snowstorm, Susquehanna River, truck, waitress, winter
Posted in beauty, death, knowledge&learning, life, local, nature, politics, seasons, time | No Comments »

There is something peaceful about a snowstorm.  Everything is white–the trees the roads-everything.  I know I am not going anywhere.  There is nothing I need except my electricity.  Even if that went out I would simply bring out my candles.

At this point I do not know how long it will snow.  The flakes are tiny so I know the snowfall will be appreciable.  I will just wait it out and enjoy it.  Perhaps take a walk in it and glory in God’s handiwork.  Or just look out my windows.  And enjoy my wife’s company.

Tags: candles, electricity, everything is white, God, God's handiwork, look out my window, my wife, peaceful, snow, snowflakes, snowstorm, trees
Posted in balance, beauty, God, life, local, love, marriage, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »

The headline in our regional paper said our area might get blanketed by a snowstorm.  I read further and the forecast said at most it would be slightly under an inch of snow.

I had to laugh:  That was a snowstorm?  That was a dusting.  Other areas of the country that consistently get a lot more snow than us would also laugh at that forecast.  Why do weather forecasters here “cry wolf” all the time?

Tags: blanket of snow, cry wolf, dusting of snow, inch of snow, newspaper headline, snowstorm, weather forecaster
Posted in humor, knowledge&learning, local, nature, seasons, time | No Comments »