Blizzards and Bunnies

...and after the flood came the blizzard. 

We are no strangers to cold or snow here in Nod, but this last storm, the weekend before last, was a doozy even by our standards.

I knew we were in trouble when, on Thursday night/early Friday morning, the forecast was for 3-5" of snow and we woke up to go 13."

We had a brief reprieve during the day on Friday and Saturday, but the new system (i.e., the blizzard) moved in late Saturday night.

By Sunday morning I was unable to get out the door.

{That's all the further I could push the door open before it hit the massive drift.)

In addition to the previous 13" of snow we had just gotten, we got 31" more in less than 24 hours.

{This is not a black and white photo...}

New records were set in our area and schools and roads were closed for several days (unheard of here generally).

My son managed to get over and plow for me (he lives a ways away) after the township roads were finally plowed but he could not shovel through the drifts to the house, so I was stranded for 3 days (one more disadvantage of a detached garage).

Most of that s*#t stuff has since melted and, thankfully, even though the temps were above freezing (actually well above freezing one day), the nights were still below freezing so there wasn't horrendous flooding.

Well...I've not been back to the lake since so, perhaps, I should not speak too soon.

We've since turned cold again...with snow squalls during the days and dropping into the (very) low teens at night. As the forecast stands now, we won't be above freezing for Easter day.

Weather notwithstanding, I have started pulling some of my chicks and bunnies and such.

The light that comes through my kitchen window makes it difficult to get decent photos (no, it's not the state of cleanliness of the window), but I tried to photograph the little vignette I started on the top of the butter churn above the sink.   

As I played with the focus, my attention was drawn to something in the background

Yup...the real ones are back.

Oh, wait...they didn't ever leave. (What's left of) my shrubs and the cords on my Christmas lights will attest to that.

Anyhow. 

Not much is being accomplished in the handcraft realm for many reasons.

I don't think, however, that I ever shared the "final" finish of this piece: "imagine*dream*believe" by Artful Offerings. 

It was stitched years ago and I posted about struggling with its floss colors. It came as a kit and, once I started stitching, the colors seemed very country-ish/baby-ish...especially when the "Woodrose" floss I had was way to the pink side vs. the peach side.

But I sucked it up and finished it and, many years later, finally got it fully finished.

Ok...that's it for now folks.

I have another week of nonsense ahead, but I will try to pop back in in the next few days and share a few more bunnies and such (hopefully not of the real variety). 

{Thank you to all who commented on my prior post and for the good wishes, hopes, and prayers. I am sorry that I didn't manage to respond individually to everyone. Life, once again, got ahead of my good intentions. Please know, however, that each and every comment was appreciated and brought me a measure of comfort.}

Quiet Again

Those of you who have followed me for any length of time know that I often go quiet...go missing.

I go without explaining myself and no one knows how long I will be gone...

...least of all me.

The quiet times are never planned or premeditated but sometimes there's an "aura" (in the sense of a warning/sensation preceding a medicinal episode such as a migraine or seizure) or a foreboding. 

Such was the case when I went to the lake two-ish weeks ago to meet with someone about the fireplace. What was to have been a short two-day (at the most) trip, turned into a week of horrors.

(For context, you should know that I had just (as within in the last 6-9 mos.) finished with the remodeling of the lower level of the house: new flooring (wood and carpet), completely new stairs and railing, new doors, new walls, new trim, new baseboards, new ceilings, new bath fixtures, new EVERYTHING.

I had not even yet gotten to post about it, but I was so happy with how it turned out:)

When I arrived, however, there was a small lake surrounding the house (not to be confused with the large lake surrounding the property). We had gotten a great deal of snow and then the temperatures warmed quickly (for a few days) resulting in a quick thaw and all that "melt" went straight down the sloped driveway to the house.

When I went inside, my worst fears were confirmed.

This was what I saw:

I immediately threw down the tarp and towels, but that was a waste of time. The water deepened and spread before I could even catch my breath.

I called my insurance agent who, in turn, called a cleanup/restoration company and the nightmare began in earnest.

The company came and took up residence.

They said they would bring pickaxes to chop some of the ice that was melting to remove it and bring sub pumps. They did bring pickaxes the following day but chipped at the ice for 10 minutes at the most and then gave up and dumped ice melt on the ice...which, wouldn't you know? melted the ice and made MORE water that ALSO seeped into the house. 

They also brought sub pumps each day; but, each day, they brought ones that were too large or didn't work.

 They ripped up, removed, (and broke) flooring, tore off baseboard, trim, removed doors, vanity, toilet, put up plastic sheeting and brought over a dozen industrial machines in (water extractors, dehumidifiers, air purifiers, etc.) that ran (and made a deafening noise) 24/7.

The cats freaked and yowled at high pitch adding to the cacophony.

On Day 6, I told them to leave and take their machines with them.

(Another point of context: On Day 2, my insurance agent informed me that absolutely none of this would be covered by insurance. It was “ground water incursion” and that is an excluded event.)

I will have to start all over: New flooring, new baseboard, new trim, new dry wall in areas, new paint, new plumbing work.

There's more to the story about the new wool area rugs, pads, etc. that were shoved - along with other dry, undamaged items - into the small shower and left to moulder with the door closed, but I don't want to relive things by repeating them in written words.

In any event, it was, thankfully, at least quiet again.

I am back in Nod and have spent the last week rescheduling appointments that were canceled as a result of the unexpected lengthy stay at the lake and attempting to line up contractors and such...again.

I had hoped not to have to worry about the "root cause" of the melting/flooding issue until the ground was thoroughly unthawed but...winter has returned with a vengeance.

Thursday night into yesterday, we were hit with a nasty storm. The prediction was for 3-5". 

 We received 13".

We had a brief reprieve today, but we are now under a blizzard warning. 

"Mega Snow." 

That's one way of describing it.

I think it will be "quiet again."