That's a joke, a pun about the brush, because the first thing I relearned is one MUST have a brush in your vehicle. And a scraper.
The Daily Bucket is a place where we post and exchange our observations about what is happening in the natural world in our neighborhood. Bugs, buds, birds - each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
March 28, 2013
This is what saw my first morning in this rural area east of Rochester, NY
My brush shortcoming really started the morning before in southwest Virginia, in a valley near the mountains. There was snow sticking overnight but it started out warm so the first inch melted and then froze. This left my truck with a sheet of ice and then 2" of snow layered atop. And me without a brush or scraper, and darn cold.
The powdery snow was easy to sweep off with my gloves. For the ice I figured I could start the truck and run the heater defrost and maybe melt it off. Sorta worked, softened it anyway. The truck was loaded meanwhile and I was ready to go so I found a stick and pushed the slurry around till I had a view hole thru the windshield. A long-handled brush with the scraper on the other end would have been better. Not something this Florida boy carries around.
But by the time I wound the 8 miles down thru the hills and got to I-81 and headed north, the windshield was clear and I was rolling. Still dark, not much traffic, but flurries predicted. Hah! More than that, it was windy, with snow blowing across the lanes. Cars and semis were ripping along at 70, some even faster. Looking at the snow blowing around but the roadway still clear, I figured it was ok -- till I saw that semi stopped in the right lane. Brake brake! Skid slide! Oh no! Ice!! No way I was stopping in time but look quick, wait a second and go left and I was around the semi. Whew..... But still I'm going 60 and can't stop without skidding and cars are everywhere, some off the road, in the ditch, in each other. And that was just the first half hour of my day, a day of 12 hours of driving.
Swerve below the orange flurries, please don't skid, and see why these Yankees put up with 5 months of winter.
You made it here safely. So did I, the rest of that day was simply driving and looking for the cheapest gas and timing purchases before hitting highly taxed NY.
These photos below show what the folks around here look forward to over the long months of winter. Funny how they all point out - hey it was in the 70s at this time last year. Like that makes it easier......
Snow drops
Winter aconite
And these crocuses that opened up this morning
So that's it for me. I head back south in a few days, looking for a couple travel days with clear weather, no snow, no ice. Right now I am walking up to the greenhouse to help with transplanting for selling at the markets in May. Be back in awhile but jump on in with your comments and observations of the natural world around you.