SNOWING OR BLOWING
Don’t eat yellow snow. Just sayin’.
Those dogs have no respect.
Even though there was no more snow forecast late in the morning yesterday we descended into blizzard conditions and it blew hard and the snow whipped up or more fell – it was hard to tell how much due to the strong winds.
We were in almost white out conditions.
The above shots I took as John drove me across the way.
As we fed out to the cows over there and gave Poppy and Manu a bucket of vegetables and left overs from the Old Codgers funeral lunch the snow threw its bad temper around our heads. We had our mouths covered with scarves and screwed our eyes to slits as we worked in the gale force winds. The temperatures dropping by degrees every hour, the snow flying past horizontally. Our world condensed down to this little kitchen of visibility. I was saying how glad I was we decided to milk earlier in the day.
Then as the last of the chores were done, a surprise sun began to struggle through the heavy wintery skies. Like a rescue party of one.
By the time we got back to the home farm and John went in to start dinner as I did the chores on this side, the sun just went ahead and began to shine as the skies literally cleared up. The wind dropped and the clouds melted away. The heaving skies just stopped in a matter of minutes.
Peace descended with a soft thump and the shadows came out of hiding to see the sun off for the day.
It cleared up completely overnight and as I write it is -7F/-21C. But still – no wind so far. We will get the animals up and fed and tucked back into their beds before the next wintry mix comes back in.
I go into the local village to give blood today. No-one will go with me as they are all ‘creeped out’ by the idea of giving blood. I don’t mind. I take my headphones and listen to a story while the Red Cross takes their pound. The only thing that bothers me about giving blood in America is there is no big pot of hot tea and shortbreads and sally- lunns afterwards. Just ‘pop‘ and some processed cookies. I do not drink sugary drinks or eat processed foods. So I take my own thermos of tea and bananas.
I have tried to make Sally Lunns but it is hopeless – the best were from the bakeries in New Zealand. You cannot replicate a good store-bought NZ Sally Lunn. Or that buttery cream coconut icing!
Anyway it appears I might be giving blood while it snows. However, I will endeavour to reach the church where I donate and maybe the snow will not be so bad. (And every few hours they seem to be changing the days the snow will fall so I think pretty much anything – or nothing – could happen with this weather pattern). Snow aside, I have whispered this to you before: I don’t earn enough money to donate cash to causes so my blood is my donation. I have read that there is a very serious shortage of blood in the States this winter and blood is perishable so I can see their problem. I can just make more! I am ridiculously healthy.
I have O+ blood and good veins. Bog standard common blood that flows thick and fast.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
WEATHER:
Monday 02/05 90% / 1-3 in
Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to cloudy skies with snow developing during the afternoon. High 21F/-6C. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches.
Monday Night 02/05 80% / ~ 1 in
Snow ending this evening followed by clearing late. Low 3F/-16C. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. About one inch of snow expected.
Sun
6:59 am 5:15 pm
Moon
Waning Gibbous, 71% visible 11:13 pm 10:07 am
39 Comments on “SNOWING OR BLOWING”
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thekitchensgarden 
O+ good donor blood. Dad was O-, very rare and oh did the blood banks love him. I was disappointed when I was told B+ because I was an A+ student. 😉 no joke, I really was disappointed….. but I was probably 8 or 10 at the time.
Oh no – that is so funny!!
I love that line “Peace descended with a soft thump”… I’d love to give blood, but they won’t take it here for fear I might be harbouring Mad Cow disease, having lived in the UK during the 1980s, and latterly because I’ve also had cancer. Back in the UK I was a donor for 20 years, so I find it difficult to have substandard blood…
Yes – I can see how that would be disappointing – interesting about how mad cow disease outbreak is still influencing things..
Apparently the bugs are not bugs at all, but damaged proteins that never leave your body so are still a danger to others forever, even if you never succumb yourself. Who knew?
How wrong you are!!! Your is not bog standard blood…yours is blue blood which contains much love and a good dose of care. Anyone blessed with receiving such a donation should consider themselves to be one very lucky person.
Having said that…blooming heck it looks cold where you are…do the cows stay out or come in for shelter.
You definitely need big warm woolly knickers on to keep your rump warm Lots of love xxx
The cows are out but take themselves in in the night time – they are pretty tough. c
I a good O+, also with good veins. I have donated gallons over the decades. My Dad was O- and was disappointed when they old him he was too old to donate, a rule they changed and he again donated well into his 80s. Hope you don’t get too much more snow. We are getting steady light snows and lots of wind. Stay safe and warm.
I really don’t think we will get a lot – all this shilly shallying about with the forecast leads me to believe that we are just on the edge of something.. c
“Watch out where the huskies go, and don’t you eat that yellow snow.”
Even those cows look miserable in the snow, where they don’t seem to mind the wind and rain so much.
They have a pretty miserable yet stoic expresssions don’t they? It was blowing pretty hard too. I never realised there was a first part to that saying! Thanks for that, Mad.
It’s a song by Frank Zappa, on an LP called Apostrophe (‘) .
Mama was a great blood donor. She believed in it heart & soul. I was told after a siege of hepatitis year ago, not to donate. Not that I ever would have for I am a great ninny & my veins can never be found for blood tests. But I admire & am grateful for those of you who do. And you are a Good Scout too, Celi: you go Prepared with your own mighty restoratives. I hope your airbnb guests were all warm & cozy watching the blizzard & happy for the sun & calm after the snowstorm.
They got away just before the wind picked up – just as well .
Shivers! I’m cold just reading and looking at your pictures. Stay warm my friend. I send you plenty of warm hogs and snout kisses. XOXO – Bacon
Little fat Wai Wai is happy as a – well as a – PIG in the cold. His wounds are almost healed right up and he goes out scavenging in the field every day. He walks for miles in this freezing weather. c
Wai Wai walking in the freezing weather doesn’t bother his cute little self? So glad to read that he is almost healed and is able to wander around without your having to worry quite so much! Happy your guests got off safely, too. If the weather had started earlier, they may have had an extended, unplanned stay! Happy blood letting day!
I am O+ too. Which is neither here nor there, just saying, as you say. I love your sturdy cows walking in formation, and the white moonlike sun making it’s statement in wintery skies. There’s a lot of good in those two things, isn’t there? Hope and tenacity. x
OH YES! Turtle Tenacity is the winner. (Though frankly I think that is a stupid parable (the Turtle and the Hare – designed to keep us wild rabbits from running here and there doing wild stuff). Who wants to slow down anyway! WOW that reply went way off course.. c
Your photos take me back to my years in Nebraska. Snow is a novelty here in Oklahoma, but we get those winds and blustery conditions at times. I love when people find special ways of donating. Mine is to help the game wardens or people who cannot afford to transport wildlife to the WildCare facility which is a little over an hour from here. I am able to drop my work here most of the time to help people and animals in need. We do what we can to make life good all around. I love “soft thump”. Ah, the sounds of nature.
YES! Just blindly sending off cash trusting it will go where you want it to, worries me too . When the people call on the phone wanting donations I tell them I will bake them a cake, please send me their name and address and I will mail it in to the veterans or the retired policemen or whoever. They are SO confused by the concept.
Like Kate above, I was charmed to read the phrase, “Peace descended with a soft thump…”. That is the nature of snow. I carry the same variety of blood you do and gave for years till they decided not to accept it any longer… which left me feeling rather useless at the time. Ah well. Hope the snow holds off until you return home safely from the blood-letting. — Mame 🙃
I hope I can donate for you for a while yet – as long as my iron levels stay up I should be ok for a few years. c
Brrr. Your cows look cold in those pictures but the shots with the sun appearing make it all seem somewhat better. I am a fainter so no blood donations for me even though I would love to do it I know my limitations! Hope you get a reprieve from more wintery mix weather.
My third son is a fainter too – no matter how hard he tries to overcome it – he needs sedation just to get through the door to the dentists and he is a big strong burly NZ bloke, raising a big family. but show him a needle and he drops to the ground. He has chipped his front teeth twice doing exactly that. c
Hello Celi ~~I love the snow again!! and the COLD!! I wanna get rid of those stinkin’ bugs and insects!! Stay warm All of you!! Sun is out so it will be a beautiful day!!! and more snow on the way!!!
Yes – right now is frozen cold nut calm and sunny – everyone is happy with that. c
I used to give blood on a regular basis but now being 75 I am not sure if they would still take it. We moved a few years back to a remote
mountainous part of Upper Northern California and I have not heard of any blood drives. I should ask. I have A+ but your O+ is marvelous for so many people!
You used to take food to the Old Codger and now food after his funeral is feeding your animals. A kindness returned.
You a good person to donate blood. It is always needed somewhere. I am common A+ but used to donate when I was a night nurse in the ER if they needed a pint.
I love your winter wonderland pictures, while I would never wish winter of 2014 on you again. Really, the sun could have come out for the chores and let in the blizzard in once you were all cozied up for the night. I am O+ too but am no longer allowed to donate, so thank you for your donations. 🙂 Laura
We are “enjoying” a winter wonderland as well. I guess it is just February. My husband has AB neg blood and two of my sons have 0 neg. Our local blood bank calls here often! 🙂
The cattle do not seem to mind.
This post was a delight of well turned phrases and photos! The storm you described sounded like one that had moved east from Wyoming, which my cousin had just written about the day before. Glad you don’t have the wind today. xx
love the photos!
Love the whole photo series from storm to peace but think the third one down of trees bending over in the wind and snow absolutely brilliant. Odd to see the front verandah table normally covered in coffee cups or eager pussies looking do forlorn . . . come on spring . . . ! Oh, we surely do agree: no sugary drinks or processed foods in this house either . . . .
Love your work
Your description of the weather moving is so vivid and alive! As are you, with your good blood. I remember donating blood as a student and always being brought a strong couple of tea and 2 vanilla wine biscuits afterwards. Not quite up to the standard from your place, with its Sally Luns, but comforting all the same. I’ve been catching up on a couple of weeks of your posts. Brrr. Always a good read, and I like to keep an eye on you and the farm, to know that all is well.
I have a terror of needles, but I would still have liked to be a blood donor. Unfortunately, I come under their weight limit so I can’t.
Waitangi Day here today. We have had a beautiful sunny holiday, so very different from the weather in your pictures! Bundle up well and keep warm on your trip 🙂
I can’t imagine -21 .. I just can’t! But I do remember the Sally Lunn, i haven’t had one in years! Thanks for the memory 🙂