Saturday, January 3, 2015

The White Stuff Has Arrived!

We finally got some much needed snow overnight.  Only about 3+" but we'll take what we can get.  Unfortunately, right now it has sufficiently masked the sheets of ice we have on the ground everywhere so that it's more dangerous out there than ever.  If we went ahead and plowed, that would only leave the bare ice showing again.  But as we speak, Papa Pea and a good neighbor D are out cobbling together a "drag" they are hoping might improve the situation.  They're cutting one of our big diameter maple logs (back in the to-be-made-into-firewood pile) to the proper length, and hooking it up with chains to the back of a piece of D's equipment.  They they'll try dragging the log over the snow to see if they can 1) pack it down some which might provide some "grip," and 2) possibly rough up the ice a bit.


Our temp now, as so often with a snowfall, is in the 20s, but the forecast for the coming week is back down into the deep freeze again.


It's amazing how "hushed" even this little amount of snow on the ground makes everything seem.  Not that we hear much noise back here in the woods at any time, but this morning it's like all surfaces (and the very air) are cushioned.

I haven't had the urge (somebody will eventually have to coax me with a big whip) to take down the tree or other decorations yet.  A couple of mornings ago, hubby got up a few minutes before I did and the only lights he turned on were those on the Christmas tree.  When I toddled out shortly thereafter, I commented on how beautiful the lit tree was.  He said we shouldn't be in any hurry to take the holiday decorations down, but enjoy them for a while longer.  It wouldn't take much to talk me into that.

So tell me true.  Have you taken down all your holiday decorations already?  Has the tree been stripped nekkid and tossed out the door?  Do you take your tree down the day after Christmas?  Or the day after New Year's?  Or do you wait until the spirit moves you?  Like about right before Valentine's Day?

37 comments:

Jennifer Jo said...

The boys took the tree down yesterday while I was out grocery shopping. I love the lights, but it feels good to clean things up.

Anonymous said...

I hate taking the tree down--have it set on a timer so it goes on in the morning when it's dark and when I come downstairs it's on and brightens up the morning. JoAnn

primrosesattic said...

I took the tree down this morning. I hated doing it. But I know I will be really busy next week. Still need to take baubles down outside. Lounge looks very empty. But
un cluttered now. No snow here in Cornwall. Your pics look beautiful of the white staff.
Rosezeeta

Mark said...

Our Christmas trees came down yesterday and today, and the one "winter tree" went up along with the winter decorations. Lots of snowmen and snowflakes inside.

Outside our freezing rain has turned to just rain. No snow (we thought we might get an inch or so) and the temperatures are hovering just over freezing. At least the roads are safe again. We had a one case where an emergency vehicle had an accident trying to come to the rescue of someone else this morning.

Love your pics! I'm sure we'll have snow here in NE Indiana sometime, but not today!

Tomato Thymes said...

The inside decorations are down. I hate it when they are boxed and put away. Our outside decorations are still up because it s pouring down rain.

Myrna said...

I must confess I took down the "few" decorations we had up on the 27th. Now my house can get back to normal if we would all get over our colds.
Our white stuff is just a trace, but cold weather is coming they say.

DFW said...

I'm ashamed to admit that we didn't decorate for Christmas this year. But, glad I don't have to stow it either. I need to get all my decorations out next September (both houses) & see what I can donate & what I need to keep.

odiie said...

How did the drag work? We ended up with about 3 inches of snow, too. Hoping there will be more snow before the Beargrease.
Time to start cleaning out the house. Wedding is over and it was beautiful.

Sparkless said...

We took our tree and decorations down on New Years Eve. I used to like to keep it all up because it was fun to have decorations up for New Years Eve but now I like having the house all clean for New Years Day. But it really doesn't matter either way is good.

Mama Pea said...

JJ - Yes, I know what you mean about having things cleaned up. It's just the getting from here to there that I keep putting off. Maybe your boys would like to take a short trip to Minnie-soda??

Mama Pea said...

Jo-Ann - What a clever idea! Heck, live a little and leave it up a while longer. (I will if you will!)

Mama Pea said...

Rosezeeta - I put up "winter" decorations (snowmen, snowflakes, etc.) when the Christmas ones come down so the house won't look too drab and empty.

We got about 2" more of snow this afternoon. Really looks pretty out there now.

Mama Pea said...

Mark - Glad your freezing rain has passed. We lived in northern Illinois for many years and were glad to get away from the frequent ice on the roads. I imagine your weather in NE Indiana is similar to that which we had in Illinois?

Mama Pea said...

Tomato Thymes - Seems like a lot of blogland is getting rain today. No need to go out in that to take the decorations down!

Mama Pea said...

Myrna - A couple (or even one!) of people having colds really does mess up a house, doesn't it? Cough and decongestant syrups, cough drops, kleenex boxes in every room, not to mention paper bags full of used tissues(!), no one having much of any energy to cook or clean. Sending best wishes that you're all healthy and back to normal soon!

Mama Pea said...

DFW - No apologies needed. Sometimes it's just easier to skip a season! I've never done it, but I have wanted to!

Mama Pea said...

odiie - Got about 2" more this afternoon and now have a howling wind making drifts and a temperature headed for the deep freeze. Brrr! How did the drag work? Our daughter came for dinner and it took her 15 minutes to make it in our quarter mile driveway that has a slight uphill to it. We're hoping this drop in temperature will put some "bite" in the snow so it will be better tomorrow.

Pictures of the wedding, please?

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - I don't think I've ever taken our decorations down until the day after New Year's Day . . . at the earliest. With the frigid weather we're supposed to have starting tomorrow and all next week, I'm not going to be happy about carting the boxes back to an outside shed where they are stored. A good excuse to put off the job until . . . spring?? ;o)

Anonymous said...

I'm leaving it up for a while--we cut it on our property so it's still nice and fresh!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous is me JoAnn: )

Unknown said...

It's amazing how "hushed" even this little amount of snow on the ground makes everything seem. My fave part too. We took our fake tree down yesterday, but I leave our winter decor up, including some winter lights, candles, etc. It's still very cheery!

Carolyn said...

Uhm......"Horray"? (for the snow)
I know, I know, you guys need it. I just find it very difficult to say "yippee" when I see snow. You are made of much tougher stuff than I.
I LOVE having the Christmas tree lights on (and nothing else) at night. Our electric bill goes up for that month, but I don't care, I just love it. I think we took the tree down on the Monday following Christmas this year. Normally I take it down on New Year's Day or the day after, but I got a bug up my butt & decided it had to go.

Anonymous said...

I love our decorations, but I have to admit, I like them down as soon as possible after Christmas. This year, college freshman daughter pitched a fit, so I said, okay, everything but the tree down the day after Christmas, but the tree can wait til New Year's Day. Then I got sick New Years Day, then Lyndsey had company, so finally today, after butchering 14 chickens, we got it down. Tomorrow will be spent vacuuming needles and rearranging furniture.

Tami said...

I yoinked the tree down the day after. The wreath is still on the door though.

Just call me Scrooge but the Christmas season ran too long for me. I was ready for 2015.

Mark said...

Similar - Being on the east side of Lake Michigan, even in the very NE corner of the state, we are in the lake effect snow area. Fortunately we are in the tail end and if we lived even 40 miles west or 40 miles north we would see significantly more of the white stuff when a storm goes through.

Mama Pea said...

Hi, Anonymous JoAnn! Ours was freshly cut, too, but still is shedding. I think the fact that we heat with wood tends to dry out the tree faster. We need to work at getting more humidity in the house!

Mama Pea said...

Nancy po - Tree down, but other decorations up. I like that plan!

Mama Pea said...

Carolyn - Think of the electric bill for those people who decorate outside with 4-gazillion strings of lights and all kinds of lighted Santas, reindeer, carolers, etc. Crazy, if you ask me! (Ugh, think of taking it all down. And packing it away. Double ugh.)

Mama Pea said...

Ruth - You took the tree down AFTER BUTCHERING 14 CHICKENS??! You are Wonder Woman!

Mama Pea said...

Scrooge . . . oops, I meanTami - Yeah, we have three wreaths outside . . . two on doors and one on the side of the house. I usually leave them up until almost Valentine's Day 'cause they just seem to "go with" the winter landscape.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

We had a layer of ice on everything yesterday, and Mom didn't read my email, went to her mailbox and fell in her driveway. Three of us checked on her during the day and took her dinner so she'd stay inside for the day. All of my decorations are put away but the outside lights.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

Technically, the twelve days of Christmas are after Christmas so mine are still up... but I kind of want to take them down just because I know I'll be busy this week... but they are still up because I like the lights... but some of the lights are burned out so the tree kind of looks a bit sad... but but but.

Sandy Livesay said...

Mama Pea,

Enjoy your snow!!! We still have our little tree standing in a nice big pot with soil, and moss over the top of the soil. The Christmas bow is still clipped to the pot, as for the lights and little decorations......already put away. That's because there wasn't much to take down, lol...... I say enjoy your decorated tree for a while longer......let's say until the branches get to dry to keep inside.

Mama Pea said...

Kristina - Oh, gosh! Your mom sure didn't need that. We're in the same situation with ice, ice everywhere! Very hard to walk anywhere outside. And you just can't be too careful. Your mom was very lucky she didn't break a bone!

Mama Pea said...

Jen - The fact that quite a few of the lights on our old strings were dead was the reason we finally invested in some of the new LED tree lights. I'm glad we did as they really are brighter, more colorful, all-'round nicer. So. Did you get your tree down over the weekend or not? I didn't. :o/

Mama Pea said...

Sandy - All of a sudden this morning, I'm ready for the Christmas decorations to go. But with our bitter cold, I'm not the least bit eager to haul all the boxes back and forth to our storage shed in the back. Don't know when we're going to get a warm up in the weather though so . . .

Lisa said...

We usually take the tree down either New Year's Day, after the big dinner, or the day after New Year's. But after coming home from spending Christmas away, it just feel right taking everything down then.... a few days after Christmas. I do miss the lights though. Your snow photos look like a picture postcard. So pretty.