The Lone Elm

A Real Winter

In the depths of winter I finally learned
there was in me an invincible summer.

by Albert Camus

This quote from Camus pretty well sums it up.  But for summer, why would we put up with such an intense and difficult experience?  However, there is plenty to enjoy about a real winter.  The Dutch are thrilled that they can again skate on the canals, according to a story in the International Herald Tribune.  However, many skaters are ending up in the emergency room with fractures, sprains and other injuries!  But being able to get out and skate for the first time in 12 years must be thrilling.  See also this lovely blog entry and photos at Letters Home  I also love this photo with the windmills in the background at Macleans.ca. 

Here in Southern NH we are stuck in the deep freeze.  Night time temps around zero, or even lower, daytime in the teens.  Pretty brutal.  We are expecting a good amount of snow tonight and tomorrow.  We will need to get out and have fun in it!  I will also spend time studying my seed catalogues in anticipation of Spring.

Valentine's Day Snowstorm

We are getting our first significant snowstorm of this year today.  One of my favorite things to do during a snowstorm is play Judy Collins' song, The Blizzard.  You can find this song on her Fires of Eden album.  Here are the words.      

The Blizzard (The Colorado Song)
Words and Music by Judy Collins
Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP)/ The Wildflowers Company ASCAP)
(Administered by Universal Music Corp.)       

Colorado, Colorado
When the world leaves you shivering
And the blizzard blows,
When the snow flies and the night falls
There's a light in the window and a place called home
At the end of the storm.        

One night on the mountain I was headed for Estes
When the roads turned to ice and it started to snow,
Put on the chains in a whirl of white powder,
Half way up to Berthoud near a diner I know      

And the light burned inside, shining down through the snowfall
God it was cold and the temperature droppin',
Went in for coffee and shivered as I drank it,
Warm in my hands in the steam as it rose.

Sitting there at the counter was a dark headed stranger,
Me and the owner and him keepin warm,
Nodded hello and I said it's a cold one
Looks like there might be a blizzard tonight.       

And "yes", said the owner,"
There's a big storm on the mountain,
Good thing we're open, we could be here for hours
There's nothing for miles and it's too late to get to Denver,
Better not try for the summit tonight".      

And the snow fell
And the night passed
And I talked to the strangers
While the blizzard blew.      

Me and the stranger, you know I don't talk to strangers,
I'm a private sort of person but a blizzard is a blizzard,
And somehow I found myself saying you'd left me,
Tellin' him everything I wanted to say to you.      

You know how it is when you can talk to a stranger,
Someone your quite sure you'll never see again -
Soon we were laughin', and talkin', and drinkin'
He said "you must know you're too good for him".        

And the snow fell
and the night passed
And I talked to the stranger
while the blizzard blew.      

The stranger said "Love it can cry you a river -
Me, I'm a loner cause I can't take the heartache
And sometimes I'm a fighter when I get too much whiskey -
Here have a little whiskey, pretend you don't give a damn -      

My cabin's up here on the side of the mountain
You can go up there and sleep through the blizzard".
I put on my parka, said goodbye to the owner
Followed the stranger through the snow up the mountainside.        

Woke in the morning to the sun on the snow,
My car was buried in six feet of snow drifts,
They dug me out, just the owner and the stranger,
Sent me on my way when the snowplow had been by       

And the roads were all clear and the sun on the mountains
Sparkled like diamonds on the peak to peak highway -
Then I knew that I would get over you, knew you could leave me
But you'd never break me.       

Colorado, Colorado
When the world leaves you shivering
And the blizzard blows,
When the snow flies and the night falls
there's a light in the window and a place called home
At the end of the storm.

Wildflower Records
WWW.JUDYCOLLINS.COM
212-749-7221

The Full Snow Moon

As a major winter storm heads toward New England, I realized that quite serendipitously, Sunday, Feb 12, is the Full Snow Moon.  According to the Farmers Almanac: "Since the heaviest snow usually falls during this month, native tribes of the north and east most often called February's full Moon the Full Snow Moon. Some tribes also referred to this Moon as the Full Hunger Moon, since harsh weather conditions in their areas made hunting very difficult."  Wikipedia has some additional information about full moons, including the fact that it takes the moon 27.322 days to orbit the earth!  Here is a nice photo of the 2005 Snow Moon, and another just before dawn.

Global Warming Could Cool Europe

The Guardian Unlimited has an interesting article about how scientists have determined that the speed of the Gulf Stream has slowed.  This likely means that England and Europe will have less benefit of the warming effect from the Gulf Stream, leading to colder and more dramatic weather.  The Stream has slowed due to the increase in fresh water melting occuring from the polar areas which affects the dynamic of the water circulating in the Stream.

If you're into data and details, check out this site showing temperatures around the world for extended periods.  Here's another source with a huge amount of diverse historical weather information. And here is a story about Ben Franklin's involvement in identifying the Gulf Stream.  Andrew Daley describes the Little Ice Age in the 1500's here.

Hurricane Wilma on the Way to Florida

Hurricane Wilma has finally begun to move on after a long period of whirling over the Cancun area of Mexico.  USA Today has a good report. The Storm Track thinks that Wilma will regain Category 3 strength before hitting Florida.  Then we'll have to see whether Wilma has any effect on New England.

Hurricane Wilma Breaks Records

Hurricane Wilma, which is expected to cut across Southern Florida this weekend, is a record-breaker.
The StormTrack does a great job of providing information about hurricanes and the stages they may go through.  StormTrack has a very informative entry up on Wilma today with some great maps and photos.
Go check them out!.