The Thundersnow...

So yesterday's forecast was a mixed bag of precipitation.

The NWS called for snow, sleet, rain, and a thunderstorm warning with dangerous lightening.
Well we had it all.
Before I left for work, we had heavy downpours with lightening that cracked and sizzled.

When I got to our ridge road which is gravel, the rain was freezing instantly to the cold road.
It made for an interesting and somewhat white knuckled drive to the county road.

Once on the blacktop though, it was fairly good driving, if one didn't mind the flashes of lightening, and the heavy downpours.
Water ran across the road as the culverts are still filled with snow and ice.

Once I got in and out of town, I got bombarded by hail. Big nasty chunks, or was it ice pellets?
I didn't know.

I made it to the wayside where I usually stop and call hubby to tell him that I've made the drive to work just fine. Another coworker was there too. So we sat in her vehicle and chatted while watching the Mississippi River.

There were fishermen in a boat just below the dam.
We thought they were nuts!

The thunder and lightening then combined with a heavy 'downpour' of snow. Within minutes we couldn't see more than 40 feet. In 20 minutes the wet road in front of us became a hazardous highway of snow with vehicles crawling.

Thundersnow is an interesting phenomena according to different sites I've looked at, they are supposed to be rare.
But ever since I've moved to this area in 1996, we've had one every February without fail.

It is quite disturbing to have heavy snow fall combined with flashes of lightening and deep rumbling thunder that you can feel.
As with most storms at this time of year, it was short lived and the sun shines today.

I was naughty

Okay maybe not Naughty with a capitol N, but ... well...

I felt naughty.

I bought myself an upday gift.
I've scrimped, I've saved, I've worked at this goal for 2 years.
Using a friend's Canon Rebel XT last summer clinched it for me.

So today I bought a Nikon D40. Digital DSLR.
Let me tell you, there is NO comparison to the point and shoot cameras at all.

The point and shoots like my Pentax are wonderful to have in the field. You can use it to get excellent shots and they are as handy as all heck.

My first hour of using the D40?

Pure bliss.

PS~hmmm, no one else knows I have this...I mean I didn't even ask hubby ...yet.
But once I have done some portraits for a few guards -- they want pet portraits, I'll be on my way....

Patience

Well I'm sort of at a loss as to what to write today. This beautiful building ~~ which is an old tobacco shed, is a building I pass twice a day on highway 56 outside of Romance, WI.

I've looked at it in the dark, with snow blowing, in the moon light, in the evening dusk, and finally yesterday...

Mother Nature provided me with the shot I'd been patiently waiting for since October 2008.

Good things come to those who wait right?

The hills behind the shed should give you an idea of the hills and valleys I have to travel through to get to work. It is a twisted road that drops 1,000 feet into Romance, climbs back out of that valley...and then~~~

drops again down to the Mississippi River Valley.

I'm watching for the perfect time to stop and take photos of a rock wall.

Patience.

Stupid dog tricks...

It was snowing, blowing, and just generally grey outside yesterday. I had such BIG plans which ...well..

er...

went to pot.

Instead I made Morris pose with my hat and scarf on ...
Yeah, stupid, but sometimes when you have nothing better to do [oh, I was doing laudry!], you
think of fun
stupid
things to do.

Do you have any idea at all how hard it is to get a Jack Russell to actually hold still?
If he is awake, he is moving.

So this was quite a feat.

However, it was short lived when he decided that I was boring him....
at which point he became a 'boneless' Jack Russell.
And fell limply to the couch.

So I took Morris's advice.

And took a nap.

Just one last note...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morris.
Sigh.
I have to go now, Morris is convinced that the blurry reflection of himself in the west window is about to attack.

Gotta love my entrainment, it is cheap.

Hard work

As you can see ...
Morris looks whipped.

Probably shouldn't let him 'work' so hard at holding down my sweatshirt on the couch while I am at work.

Looks like today is a day for running errands and fixing fences [the guy mules are mixed up with the mares, donkey jennets, and molly mules].

Tonight we are supposed to get some snow!!!
Shhh...don't tell hubby that it thrills me to have more snow.

After all if I get my 'stuff' done today --- then I can go out and play in it!

Just another day...

~~~in paradise.

;-)
If you consider snow, blowing snow, white out ground blizzards --- paradise.

Actually, as winter storms go, this was pretty tame.

Yesterday morning some of us [co-workers] were discussing the fact that not many of us have really gotten sick over this winter [so far].

I thought about that and wondered if it is because we all are outside for a portion of the day. We dress sensibly for the weather, and are in 'non' sedentary jobs. Plus, most of the time, our job is fairly stress free [mentally].

I thought about that a bit and recalled how I was always feeling crappy when I worked in the office each day sitting at a computer...
dealing with a stressful situation for just 5-6 hours a day.

Here I can work 11 hours, and come home tired but not feeling crummy.
My health has improved.
My attitude has improved.

And, for the first time since 2005, I rode [Sunday] without ANY pain in my shoulders, elbows, and hands.

I am a grateful person.

I miss...

I miss Hawaii.

Today while cleaning the house, I pulled out the photo album of the trip that dad and I took to Hawaii in 2001.

On page one of Dad's album, there are Dad's ticket stubs. I stared at them a long time before flipping to the album itself.

I must admit, I enjoyed looking at the album again, slowly turning the pages and recalling the highlights of our trip together.

The comments from Dad:

Are we there yet?

I'm hungry.

The words echoed in my head~~~ in his voice of course~~~ bringing a smile to my lips. So I began to think about Hawaii.
And I began to think about going back.

I'd go with cameras in hand. I've learned much in the past 8 years about photography. But it isn't just that...Dad and I talked about going back again together.

Yep, we did.
On that trip Dad coached me, gave me tips to take better photos. [Every single time I hold a camera -- especially a SLR -- I feel connected with Dad]

So yeah, when I go back, the cameras go with me.

Why do I want to go back?
Do I really need a reason to visit the place where I was so happy as a kid?
Do I really need a reason to go back to reminisce and have an adventure at the same time?

Not in my mind.