Southern freeze

[jenn]

Our big freeze suspended deliveries (of mail and packages), city functions including garbage pickup, and school for a week. The emergency calls (DH has started listening to that channel) were suddenly for many slips and falls. The Russians don't need to disrupt our internet or bomb us- 1" of precipitation and freezing weather paralyzed us.

I had ordered plants weeks ago half of which arrived yesterday (after being listed by UPS to be delivered the 18th and then days after that as delayed by weather). They all look pretty good except a strawberry which was almost out of its pot with pretty dry soil and wilting leaves. The package list said they'd already been hardened off- that may have helped if they sat on a truck freezing for a few days.


I have high hopes that the other box containing the rest of the items will arrive today and be as healthy as most of the first one. ALready have holes dug for most of them and almost all of yesterday's delivery planted.

Sadly for our kids with our newborn DGD her older brother had already missed a week of daycare due to gastroenteritis. So he was home except when the grandparents (both sets) could keep him for sister's weeks 2 and 3 of life, half of the nesting and recovery time they had planned. SIL yesterday said "It's amazing how much more we can get done around here when he's at daycare!" He's catching up on his sleep before returning to work next week.

[jenn]

BTW it was amazing how many of the locals have snowchains- too bad the town doesn't have snow plows (though might not have helped remove the thin layer of ice) or more than a few salters. They put grit on the main road next to us only on day 3 of the freeze, and it was only last night that the ice skating rink in some driveways and streets was all melted away.

[Jolly]

The Deep South is not set up to handle freezing weather, especially stuff in the teens and single digits, and especially if there's a little snow and ice to go along with it.

Something I've noticed, though. I see less people burning wood and some of those who do, buy all or most of their firewood. Lots of times, there will be a good wood tree down and nobody cuts it up.

Down the road from my house about a quarter mile is a pretty decent pin oak that blew over in a storm about six or seven weeks ago. It's right next to the road, so loading it would be no problem. I figure it will lay there until it rots.

[Cabin Fever]

Sorry, but I had to....

[countrymom22]

While our driveway was icy even after plowing, I just slid my way down to the shed and grabbed a bag of oyster shell from the chickens and spread that on the driveway as needed. I love that it doesn't track into the house like sand, and it's safe to use with all the grooming dogs coming and going around here.