Frosty FencepostPhoto: Casey Klahn
Our power is off and on, so I'll post this with haste. It is the great Ice Storm of ought-nine!
Yesterday, the two kids and I were driving home in the van. To our front, I watched in awe, and then in fear, as great arcs of light shot sky high, and then a power pole snapped in two and came down. I was watching the slow motion, B&W, silent movie of power lines and pole crumpling and I thought, "is this going to hit us?"
Now I know that the great tension down these lines keeps them in-line with their original aspect. Mostly. So, it fell along the road side, but across our neighbors' road, and so I dialed 9-1-1. There are over two dozen poles down, by my reckoning.
I was shaken up, but we made it home fine. What next, winter?
Casey, you've been slammed so hard this winter [understatement of the century].
ReplyDeleteIs a typical winter anything like this? I thought that it was more temperate where you live.
Needless to say, I'm glad that you and your family are safe. Hope it warms up soon.
I'm starting to temporarily dislike white, in empathy, I guess.
They say one aspect was a record, that being the first great dump of snow @ mid December. But, I remember one dump about the same last winter.
ReplyDeleteThen, it just kept snowing lightly but steady for weeks!
We have that marine climate which is related to the Japanese Current - meaning that the Pacific air is warm from having been around the South Pacific. Wet, temperate is correct.
We are signifigantly less cold than the area east of the Rockies, like the Dakotas and eastern Montana and Wyoming - you know, the places known for c-c-c cold.
The old timers say these have come and gone, all cyclical stuff. I grew up on the west side of the state, with very temperate wet stuff.
Is an aversion to white bad for a watercolorist? My ignorance showing through.
I forget as I sit here in a warm zone, admiring the winter white, how destructive it can be. I am glad that you are safe. Stay warm
ReplyDeleteAs a watercolorist myself, I am learning to study all the color in white.
It wouldn't be quite so bad if I could get to my winter sports. Maybe soon...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the well wishes, Robin.
Have a look at Joan's incredible watercolors, BTW. Plus, in the world of watercolor, a "patron saint" - maybe THE patron saint of WC has passed away. A. Wyeth.
My friend Stan Miller is always referring to AW, and I remember his description of Wyeth's abstract qualities. Stan is in the same zone as Wyeth, if you ask me. Just my 2 cents.
I am glad you made it home safely as well. As beautiful as the photos are, it seems you get the "heavy hitters"- as far as winter storms go. Seems every day there is more, and not a just little.
ReplyDeleteI do like winter, but I am very "seasonally sensitive"-It could very challenging (for me) artistically...
Do you find it effects you productivity level?
Wow Casey! That must have been so scary! I am glad to hear you and your family are all OK.I guess there can be a bad side to the white stuff. But doesn't it make the trees look magical?
ReplyDeleteStay safe and warm,
Loriann
Loriann, right now our poor trees are loosing big limbs - including the maple!
ReplyDeleteJR, if I get a seasonal affect (S.A.D.) it is in high summer. The opposite of normal folks, I know. I was born under a rain cloud!
Productivity for me has been health oriented, but things are getting better. thank God.