by
Winter report: east central Minnesota
Oh, John, fine, beautiful! I'll try my own:
Last year October was unusually warm, just occasional freezes. In
31th of Oct it turned, the ground got frozen, and in the 15th of
November we had a snowstorm. That snow lasted to the spring, with
only one warm week in the middle of December. Since that, up to
the beginning of April, there were no days above freezing temps
- no icicles :) and new snow was piled on the old.
The spring was cold and rainy, snow lingering up to May in shadowy
'Glory of Edzell' in the pimpinellifolia row'. In warm places,
however, first crocuses opened in that same day. Ices disappeared
from the nearby lake in 29.4., but in the shaded pond were left
until 7. of May. I have a note from 4.5.: 'The first warm day, and
the frogs are here' - spawning and croackin' in the pond among ice!
A rainy summer followed, but I loved it: less time spent in watering,
more time for digging holes, and since I am not designed for hot
climates, also more power to do anything. August, unexpectedly, was
dry and hot, so was September and part of Oct. Up to now, no
particular freezes in the south half, but Lappland has already got
its share of -25C frosts.
several plants are sought and grown. They have a katsura clone which
manages there, and it must be hardy, for no yellow rose, not even
rugosa 'Agnes', grows there. Maybe yours has a respective origin.
> plenty of fun until spring.
known in North Europe, but they are not as effective as skis. Snow
is different here.
Another winter joy, from last Christmas:
I work for seven days in row, then have seven free. It does not
matter if it is Christmas or Easter, when I go, I go. I begin in
every second Monday, and that was Christmas day. At night, there was
-30C/-21F. I had my car being repaired and was promised to take a
Toyota Range Rover, one of that miscellaneous crop filling the yard.
It has a thousand kilogram compressor on back, to drive two rock
drillers, so it's *mad* to handle, but hey, I have a truck license!
Now, it's a diesel, and to start that in cold... There *should* have
been a warmer, but it appeared, that in the last motor repair it
was not put in place. Weeeelll, I removed an electric radiator from
a wall, put it on logs under the motor, and triumphantly arrived in
due time in work, twenty miles apart! I let the motor run a few times
during the evening, and got safely at home. That was the *first* day.
Next day the damn junk boiled, just as I reached the main way. So it
had freezed, anyway. Well, walk back home two miles and take another
car, a Nissan Urvan Cab, which was not at home in Monday. It is
diesel, too, but *with* a warmer. Got to work and back home.
That was the *second* day.
Next day got to work okay, but in the way home, the Urvan froze
in between - had summer quality fuel in tank. It took one and a half
hours to drive back ten kilometers to the only open station. I got
antifreezer to the tank, got home late. That was the *third* day.
Next day, the Urvan cab again. It had some trouble in the starter,
but after several trials it usually fired. I got to work, but
when I tried to start it by night (I work from 3 to 24), it never
fired. It was tugged back home. That was the *fourth* day.
Friday, I have a long jour, from 3 to 7 next morning. I started the
Range Rover, spent night firing it now and then, then left for home
in the morning. After two hundred meters the exhaust pipe fell on the
street. Well, I gathered it up and drove home with considerable noise,
but no-one did stop me. That was the *fifth* day.
While I slept, I got the pipe repaired. Nothing happened in Saturday
and Sunday trips.
All this with constant -20C/-4F or lower temperature and biting wind.
I swear that every word is true. I thought I'll loose my brain.
Winter *fun*, oh ---ts! <g>
Aila, in Finland