Oh, the Weather Outside Is Frightful

We're in the middle of the weirdest winter storm.  The roads are clear, there is no snow on the ground, but everything is covered in ice.  Nearly everyone we know in our city has no electricity; strangely, we still have it.  (But it's flickering ominously--I've auto-posted a few things, just to be safe.)

The worst part is watching our neighborhood trees.  I'm ridiculously sentimental about them all, and we're powerless to do anything but stand on the porch and watch branch after branch crash to the ground.

Our backyard looks like this:

...and the front yard looks like this:

And we don't even have it as bad as our neighbors, who appear to be about to lose every tree in their yard:

I could just weep.  Actually, since I took the above pictures mid-day on Monday, about twice that many limbs have fallen.  Our trampoline is almost toast.  My kids could weep.

But like I said, I've got Works-For-Me-Wednesday auto-posted, in case our house joins the hordes of other chilly and dark houses in our city.  If it looks all wonky, you'll know why.

And now I'm going to sit by the fire.

Comments

[Amy]

Shannon, stay inside! It's warm, it's safe and you've got a great family to hang out with while you're there!

[Edi]

we are experiencing the same...it's been raining a lot, ice on trees and roofs but the roads are (thankfully) clear. We have not lost of electricity for which I am thankful.

The trees look beautiful encased in ice and frost... though unpleasant to think of losing your trees or having large branches come crashing down (our problem until we had our tree chopped down this summer - too many close calls and concerns about the whole tree coming down on our house or our neighbors.

Hope you don't lose your electricity either!

[jen]

We have had it like that before and it is almost scary.....good luck. And stay warm.

[momhuebert]

Oh, I'm so sorry. Ice storms can be devastating!

[Anna]

Our city had one like that a couple of years ago. Even though it's so devastating, enjoy the beauty... it's one-of-a-kind.

[Prisca]

I have been through an ice storm like this and it's a real endurance test. I'm hoping your power stays on!

[Laura]

Eeeek! Hide under the bed for pete sakes. That looks brutal!

[chickadee]

ice, that's all we ever get here too. it's the worst. maybe there won't be as much damage as you think.

[tonni]

Eerily beautiful and frightening at the same time. I hope you stay warm.....Here in cincy all we are getting is rain, rain, rain....

[biodtl]

Wow! That's really too bad about those trees. We have a giant sycamore in our front yard that I both love and fear, because of the weather.

[Sue @ praise and coffee]

OH my goodness!!
Those pictures are amazing.

Try to keep warm!
Sue

[Susanne]

An ice storm! I'm so sad for those big old trees! Stay warm and safe.

[kellie]

Sending prayers your way!

[Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife]

I'm thinkin' the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe...

[floorplan]

It IS time to weep when great limbs, which took decades to grow, snap off in a matter of hours. I understand!

deb meyers

[Melissa]

We have been through ice storms here in the past. It is beautiful, but can also be heart breaking and definitely dangerous when God is pruning our trees. Stay inside where it is safe. Stay warm!

[Tammy]

Wow, we had freezing rain last year, but not nearly as bad as what you have. Hope things get thawed out soon! I hope you don't lose your power!

[Julie]

Oh, Shannon, I am sooo sorry. There is nothing worse than an ice storm, except and ice storm without electricity.

Praying you survive!

[Fran]

Oh Shannon...these made me want to cry! This happened to us a few years back when we lived in Memphis and it was terrible. I hope everyone heals quickly!

[DT]

I was in the horrific ice storm in the Mississippi Delta in 1994. The sad reality is that many of those trees will be lost and things might never look the same. The good thing is that once the ice starts to melt, cleanup can begin!

[Jenni]

I'm crying over our magnolia, which has lost two big branches thus far. I'm praying it hangs on for a little while longer!

Unlike you, our streets are **treacherous**! Hope your power stays on...ours has been in and out for 2 days. Very tiresome!

Warm (((HUGS)))!!! Enjoy the fire...I know I do!

[Jessica]

We had an ice storm here back in 2003. It was crazy. My small one bedroom apartment was without electricity for a week. Luckily I had great friends I stayed with and was warm. It was no fun. I hope you guys stay nice and warm!

[Not the Queen]

Yikes! I'm glad our winters aren't that bad. That's scary!

[Michelle- This One's for the Girls]

My parents (who live in the same town as you) have been without power for 20 hours.

The ice should arrive north of KC by midnight. I am DREADING it.

Stay warm!!!!!

[Ronnica]

I think it's so crazy that all my friends in Oklahoma are iced in, while we're enjoying 80 degree weather!

[Mrs. Who]

Like some other commenters, we have been through a terrible ice storm a couple years ago here in Lexington, KY. The city was absolutely shut down, power was off everywhere and it was a huge mess. We lost our electricity for two days but others lost it for as long as two weeks. Let me tell you, a fireplace does not provide very much heat!! Try to stay warm. Hope the ice melts soon.

[Carrie]

That looks so scary! I hope you and yours are warm and safe tonight night.

[Julie]

Here in Georgia, it has been in the mid 70's all day. It doesn't even feel like Christmas time. But I would rather it be warm than worry about the power going out or trees down everywhere. Take care and God Bless!

[KS Grandma]

It's raining here and freezing now. I have buckets of water sitting everywhere to flush the toilet if I lose power. The kitchen counters are lined with containers of drinking/cooking water. The sink has hand washing water in it. There are flashlights within reaching distance of wherever I might be when the power goes. The radio has fresh batteries, the cell phone has been charged. Does it sound like I've been through this before? It is so labor intensive, surviving something like this. To add insult to injury, I live in the woods.

[Leigh]

Wow. This is so amazing to me, since we have had temperatures in the seventies the last few days and I keep saying that I wish it would feel more "Christmasy". Stay inside and drink hot chocolate!

[Christy]

Ah. Christmas in the Bible Belt. This is the time of year that OK, AR, and TN are blanketed with ice. I have weathered out many a storm like that!

Stay inside! Stay warm! Pray for the trampoline! Good Luck!

[Connie]

That's the kind of thing you see here in GA. Well, not lately of course! Today was 70's!! I had preschoolers come to school in shorts of all things,in December. I'd love to have the ice just because that would mean RAIN! We are so needing the water.

[Nancy]

I feel for you and the trees, I am very into trees and that just looks so sad. Stay safe and it will pass. Ahh, yes winter!!

[Mich]

Shannon, Best of luck - I will pray that you stay warm and dry and the kids don't kill each other! We just missed the storm by about 30 miles! Hope your parents are also doing well!

[Vickie]

Shannon,
Our trees look like your neighbors! We live in Edmond. Our power was out for a while and just came back on for who knows how long. My siblings are still without power. I will send some prayers your way. My niece is at Univ Tulsa and has no power and had to take a final in the dark this morning.
Blessings,
Vickie

[Activities Coordinator]

Please do not send that stuff East.

Thank you.

[Shama-Lama Mama]

We called that a Hard Frost when I lived back in Ohio (we are in San Diego now!) Its caused by rain that gets suddenly hit by below freezing temps. Its so beautiful to look at. A true winter wonderland.

But yes, it turns the trees to brittle ice and the power lines too.

And watch your driving! There will be "black ice" on the roads... totally invisible. Not even shiny. Stay in. Keep warm. Stay safe.

[Tiffany]

Shannon,
The sound of the trees blowing in the wind when they are covered in ice is frightening! We have snow and ice here in Missouri and I think most of the bad part tonight is going to go north of me. I hope you stay warm!

[Melanie]

Oh My. How sad.

Like a Robert Frost poem that went terribly, terribly wrong.

[Terry]

I'm a few miles north of you and it looks like the town has been hit by a tornado. I've posted pictures over the last several days. I'll loose between 2 to 5 trees when its all said and done I'm afraid.

[edj]

I saw the news and "came over" to check on you! Hope you stay warm!
We get those ice storms fairly frequently here in Portland--they come down the Columbia River Gorge. They are terribly treacherous but sooo beautiful! Every blade of grass, every microscopic twig, is coated in ice--the whole world glitters like a fairyland! But, of course, we often lose power and they are dangerous. I hope you can enjoy it and stay safe.

[Angie]

We haven't had branches falling off in our neighborhood that I have noticed, but we've had the same weird storm as well. The roads were all fine, and we're even losing some of the snow we got last week. But, all of the trees, signs, mailboxes, etc. are covered in ice. It's kind of surreal. (Hubby is worried about our weeping cherry tree in our backyard because the branches are SO low right now.)

[Amy]

I live way in the Deep South, and we have had had some REALLY bad ice storms--people have even been seriously injured and died as a result of falling limbs. Please stay inside and keep all your family in if possible!

[Shannon Miller]

Shannon - My baby sister is at SNU and she's so excited because her finals were cancelled due to the ice. Remember college where it was just all about you? :) I'll be praying y'all don't lose power and you're huddled inside long enough for some cozy family time - not long enough for the crazy cabin fever to set in.

[Gretchen]

Seattle gets ice storms, too. Nasty. Stay warm, and please accept my condolences re: the trees. :(

[Erica]

Growing up in Maine we had many ice storms, but the one that stands out in my mind is the storm of 1998. (They even sold commemorative Ts!) We lived on a dirt road in the outskirts of town and it took 3 weeks to get our power back and running water.

We had to dig ourselves out of ice and snow, cook on the woodstove or outside on our grill in 12-15" of snow and ice, cut down our own trees and bathe out of a pot on the stove.

We were very fortunate for a local store who was owned by friends of the family. They made us hearty soup and homemade bread that we could heat on our woodstove when they hadn't heard from us in several days.

We couldn't buy a generator! People were scalping them for thousands of dollars and everyone was out of them.

As scary as it was to be without running water and electricity for so long it was nice to be a part of a community that pulled together and helped it's own. I will *always* remember that and the nights we spent next to a coleman lantern putting together puzzles and watching the fire in the living room for hours on end because it would get pitch black around 4 pm!

Warm wishes and hears hoping you're able to keep power!!

[bobbie]

I feel for you and those trees! I'd never seen anything like it before INdiana (we've been here for 7 yrs now). I can just feel the weight those poor trees are bearing with all that ice. The only good thing is if you get a sunny day, everything sparkles and glints like nobody's business! Hope you get some sunshine tomorrow.

Bobbie *Ü*

[Sue]

Oh, no... I think I would cry, seeing the trees fall. I hope it ends soon for you...

[Lisa]

So Sad! Poor Trees! We lost many of ours in the Denver blizzards last year, so I feel your pain! Stay safe and warm!

[O]

I'm with you on the trees. They really are a part of the neighborhood. Hope yours weather the storm and just let the ice do necessary pruning and no more! Hang in there & stay warm!

[jenny]

I sure hope you don't end up without electricity. We have freezing rain tonight, but nothing like what you've shown. Stay warm!!

[Rebecca]

Looks cold! Stay safe! xxx

[Georgia Mom]

And yet it was 77 degrees in GA yesterday. What's up with that! Hope all is well.

[Tammy]

We had a record high in Wake Forest,North Carolina!!

Sorry to hear about your ice storm,they are so nasty!

[Tammy]

Forgot to say record high of 81 degrees!!

[Jes]

I was going to tell you about the ice store we had in Maine in 1998, but I saw Erica already told you about it!
I have some very pretty pictures from that storm. We were lucky, we were only without power for a few days, but we were out of school for a long time!

[Shalee]

We're there with you, Shannon. It's no better up here...

[Jenn]

wow! That's sad. I love trees too. I hope you don't lose your power!

[Irene]

Oh, I am right there with you in regards to the trees. I would be CRYING if I was losing my precious trees!

Take care - stay safe and warm!

[Llama Momma]

Reading the paper this morning and praying for your family, and the many others who are in Oklahoma...

[Kellyn]

It is a miracle that you still have power with all the limbs falling. I hope everyone stays safe and warm. I would much rather have our snow than ice.

[Renee]

Temps here are expected to be 80 today. My kids are wearing t-shirts to school and no jackets. Doesn't feel like Christmas at all. Hope you stay safe and warm.
Merry Christmas!!!

[Renee]

Temps here are expected to be 80 today. My kids are wearing t-shirts to school and no jackets. Doesn't feel like Christmas at all. Hope you stay safe and warm.
Merry Christmas!!!

[Sheila]

Oh my goodness! I feel so bad now for my small gripe about our warm waether - I know, it could be worse. Best Wishes!

[Jenny from Chicago]

Two Suggestions from Chicago:

1. Hot Chocolate
2. Neil Diamond

[Melody]

We have that same wacky weather going on here except with a lot of ice on the sidewalks and streets. We don't have any trees in our front yard but we have lost about half of the tree in the backyard. I am definitely looking forward to Spring.

[pam]

Oh Shannon!

I hope you get a warm-up today and don't lose your trees. I'm sentimental about trees, too, at least when we had them when I was a child.

Enjoy a little Barry today and sip some hot tea.

[LeeAnn]

Good luck and stay warm! I understand---we had a devastating storm last January but got missed by this one. We escaped with about 1/4" of ice. It is beautiful and devastating. Reminds you that man's power is pretty puny.

[Jen]

I hope things don't get too damaged before it's all over!!! I remember getting a storm like this once when I was in high school! It was amazing to see. Then we had one here about 3 years ago that shut down whole portions of the state! Stay warm!

[Lady Why]

Oh, Shannon, I'm SOOOOOO sorry to see those awful pictures!! I am a loather of all weather colder than 50 degrees so I shuddered at your pictures and I shudder at the evening news telling of this awful storm!

I guess now would NOT be the time to mention that it's 74 degrees and sunny at my house today. (ducking and running for cover on the deck with my ice tea and bare feet to pray for all of you enduring ice!)

Try to stay warm!

[Girlymom]

Nasty weather, hopefully it will be over soon.

[Amy]

Oh, the pictures are lovely but I can "hear" the damage!! The one thing I do like about our move is the weather. :-)

[Cousin DV]

Y'all stay safe!!!

[Shannon]

Sorry about the trees. I know how you feel. When hurricane Rita came through where my parents live they lost over a hundred trees on their 20 acres. It was heartbreaking to see so many massive trees gone. And then more with limbs that had fallen out, that look kinda funky now, years later.

[Tiff@Three Peas in a Pod]

I'm so sorry about your trees!! I won't even comment on our weather here because that would just be plain cruel. I hope it warms up soon and you don't lose power. Keep us all updated!!!

[Nicki]

I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine going through this! I hope all ends up okay and that you and your family do not lose power during this nasty storm we all seem to be experiencing.

[Maria]

I feel your pain. My neighborhood is a complete mess, and we have been without power since Monday. Plus, we lost it Sunday and got it back Sunday night, so really almost no power since Sunday. Fortunately, I found a friend with power. There are a couple of pictures on my blog, but I hope to get some more loaded on to a memory stick to bring to work and post. I just want to cry... but I just keep on going trying to get things in line so we can actually return to the house once the power returns.