The snow was gone here a couple weeks ago and thank goodness for this weather so far! After the past couple years (and even last month) where we've had below normal winter and spring temps, it's a nice break. You can thank a positive NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) and a neutral to slightly positive Pacific Oscillation for that. We had gotten so accustomed to teens and twenties for highs every winter for weeks at a time and being pushed to consider that "normal" (which it isn't, at least here in SE PA), that what we are experiencing now seems "mild" and in reality, it's closer to "normal" and what the temps should be (highs mid - upper 30s and lows in the mid 20s for the coldest month of January). Since the beginning of December, I have watched below normal weather here in the east being idiotically cheered on by several commercial weather forecasters (some who finally admitted that they were "snow lovers" after weeks on end threatening that winter is coming... winter is coming.... look out.... And even concocting hypothetical graphical scenarios illustrating what would need to occur to theoretically produce even more severely below normal cold weather), while those same ones cheered on the above-normal temps elsewhere across the U.S. But god forbid, let us struggle to normal and slightly above and they get their panties in a twist. Meanwhile out west, temps are some 30 degrees above normal. :-\ Sorry for the weather rant...but I've been wanting to get that out. ;-) beanmomma - if you can remember the winter of 2001 - 2002, you might be able to predict whether your plants will come out of dormancy too soon. I have a couple new potted shrubs and a new containered tree (a plum that only needs 250 chill hours which I'm sure has gotten that by now) that I am watching too. Right now it seems that the temp range has been perfect for "chill hour" accumulation. But I think as long as we do hit or go below freezing at night, I expect the plants will hang on in dormancy awhile longer. Crossing fingers that we can make it through this month like this and squeak through February the same way, then we should be pretty much on our way to spring! :-)

The worst winter that I experienced was 1978-79. It snowed heavily the night before Thanksgiving and the ground was not clear until sometime in late March. We had several major storms that dumped heavy accumulations of snow and dealing with the snow became the major issue of the winter. I was a brand-new homeowner that year; the proud owner of a three story townhome in a development named "Bright Oaks". We bought an existing unit that had been built when the developer still had a conscience, so the buildings had been carefully positioned to preserve many of the large old oaks. As a result, our building had been slanted in relation to the street. Our neighbor in the far north end of the building could barely fit his enormous Cadillac in his driveway, but at the other end of the building we could park three full size cars end to end in our driveway. The south side of our driveway was a small hill with a lovely ancient oak atop it. The other side of the driveway was a narrow strip of lawn that we shared with our immediate neighbor. By the end of January, shoveling the driveway meant scooping up a shovel full of snow, walking the length of the driveway and then going down the street about 30 feet to a clear spot on the hillside, clear meaning that the snow wasn't already piled higher than your head. Then walk back to get the next scoop of snow. It was just a bit time-consuming! In mid-January I had to take the train to downtown Chicago on a Saturday morning for work. When I left home it had started snowing again, and the train station lot had not been plowed. I park legally on the street and headed downtown. By shortly after noon, it became obvious that the storm was so bad I should head home, so I left for the train station. A combination of heavy snow and bitter cold had disrupted even the commuter trains. The schedule was out the window and they were running on a "load and go" basis. Maybe that should read "load and stall"? What should have been a 90 minute trip took about four hours. Switches were freezing, the diesel engine would not run at full speed, and crossing gates acted up everywhere. As the trip took longer and longer and the snow got deeper and deeper, I began to wonder how I would ever get my car off the street, or more simply how I would get home at all. When the train finally pulled into my station, I was surprised to see my husband and our neighbor, the owner of the enormous Cadillac, come walking out of the trackside tavern. My husband had decided to come help me get the car out, but the neighbor saw him leaving and offered to drive instead, since the big old boat handled better in the heavy snow. (Note to younger readers: this occurred in a time before the existence of cell phones and SUV's. We did have electricity, though.) The two waited out the storm in the tavern until they heard the train come in. They had heard enough about the travel problems that day to know that I would be on THE train. I don't think I was ever so happy to see two people in my life! It took several hours the next day to excavate the car from its white tomb on Main Street, but we got the job done. Finally we came to the long-awaited day in early March when it was warm enough to melt a significant amount of snow. I came home to find the ceiling of my first floor entryway on the floor. An awful lot of homeowners learned all about ice dams that spring, as the damage became all too apparent in the thaw. We ended up with a new ceiling and a full paint job on two floors to repair the damage. Fortunately, our homeowners' insurance covered the damage. We've had colder weather, strong winds, heavy rains, you name it, but I still rate that winter as my worst weather experience ever. V.

Golddust- It was actually Carr-Feeley. When we took him there in 95 we went all the way to Milk lake. We got a late start this time and with the kids we did not want to hike too long so we only went two miles in. We have been doing a lot of day trips checking out places to camp more rural so pup can practice running free and returning on command. He had his first campout up at Sterling. There is a free area that used to be a real campground. Has portapotties and the areas are marked quite well but you can pull in anywhere you like. We went a little deep into woods and had a blast. We like Sardine but cannot take dog within 100yds? or so of water so we would have to stay at one of the primitives up the road and dh would have to go alone to Sardine. Last year we drove all around up there and fell head over heals. We took our huge ram 1500 truck up the logger road above emerald lake. We did not make it up to the lookout tower. Truck was just too huge to go that far for me. We spend vacation time down at Convict Lake and drove our new jeep up the 4x4 trail to laurel lakes. We did not have pup because we continued to Utah and they do not allow dogs in National Parks. We plan to go back to Convict with him though later on. His first big adventure was the long bumpy road to Bowman. Talk about a road needing some pot holes filled. It was really pretty up there. Once we aired down the tires it was much more pleasant. Doggy did not mind. Top down and ears flapping in the wind. What more could a pup want. It is amazing how much love a dog, or even a cat, can bring to our lives. This pup has been so much more work than our first buddy. Temperment is so much stronger. And being 17 yrs since we have had to raise a pup this has been a long 9 months. Dh is really having fun taking him to obedience classes. Due to schedules I took our first buddy and that was not good. He did fine but really needed my dh. This pup knows who his alpha is and they are really enjoying the process. Our first was an american with showdog parents. He naturally pranced and was so sweet but did have major separation anxiety when we ever parted. This one is a german who has an intense prey drive- just ask the chipmunk he nearly caught last weekend in the woods. He is one of the top jumpers in class so far and dh really looks forward to doing agility. He would do good with protection training but that is not my big thing. Dh would like to get the shutzen, whatever thingy. He has potential. I still have my Kiki girl's ashes. She passed a few years ago. Indoor kitty so I think she will stay with me until I pass. She was my heart and soul. I miss her meow so much. Having her spend her last night in my lap, letting out one last meow which she had not done in weeks, purrrrr love until the end. I could fit her ashes box inside the box of my shephards. She was tiny. But then again he was huge. DD seems fine with the weekend. She will be glad she went but I will never make her feel bad for not being able to participate. Being there was important enough. I started a shadow box for my dh's office. It is our buddy's collar with the tags dangling down. Inside the circle of the collar I am going to put the picture we took that day at the lake. It is dh's favorite. It is of him and his buddy-best-buddy sitting on a huge rock beside the lake. I will wait a while to give it to him, dh is a pretty quiet guy and now would be too soon. Thanks for all the lovely comments, it truly was a love story to share.

Yes, it is Bessie with the big ears. She can feel vibrations, I think she just didn't want us to find her. It took us five minutes to get her to wake up. With her age we sometimes have to make sure that she is actually breathing. We had to remove the two lowest layers of the tree to get her out from behind it. Somehow pets can always get into places then they can't get out.