It's been an exciting 3 days of wintry weather here in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The National Weather Service called it right, two days beforehand. Was everyone was ready for a multi-day storm? Of course not! And, even if a person is fully prepared, there is still a lot of damage. And the electric wires are a weak link, for sure!
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Rosehips
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A wire in my berry patch
It started with rain turning to ice. It continued with trees breaking and electrical transformers popping, then stopping. Some areas had power throughout. Others lost their power early. I was on low voltage for nearly a day. Then no voltage at all for most of a day.
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The asparagus patch and two little asparagus berries
At least the ice is beautiful. I'll be posting an ice storm series over the next few days. It was interesting to see how different trees responded to the weight of the ice.
I've got some neighborhood cleanup to attend to. I'll get back to responding to comments and curating for the @foraging-trail and @gardening-trail soon.
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I thought my English walnut tree would be a big mess to clean up.
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But then I looked up at my neighbors giant American Elm. I heard this losing branches all through the storm.
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This elm branch hit a neighbor's metal roof, but without visible damage. The neighborhood chainsaws have already started!
Have you ever been in an ice storm? Have you lost power during a winter storm? If you are in a wintery area, stay warm!
** Haphazard Homestead **
*** foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land ***
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Nice work.
Thanks! The work has just begun. Lots of chainsaw work ahead!
I'm freezing here...
A lot of people were cold, that's for sure! We finally got rain today. The ice lasted a long time!
The broken trees look horrible! but the icicles are so pretty.
Quite a contrast, that's for sure! I did use some of the icicles for a nice gin and tonic, lol. We have to use what we have! ; )
Never passed an ice storm! In 2013 winter's after strong winds we spent a full weekend without electricity, just the fireplace for warming.
Windstorms can sure cause a lot of damage, too. The ice finally melted today. And there are still people without power. I've just been busy cleaning up the mess around here. It's good that you had a fireplace!
I already noticed your absence here...glad you're back and things are getting normal there.
Thanks!
So glad you are back, I was getting worried
Thanks! It was frustrating being without electricity. There are still people in town with no power. And then there was a lot of cleanup. It's been decades since this area has had such damage. But the ice finally melted with a lot of rain today. We've still got an emergency declaration for 10 more days, though, to help with the cleanup of all the downed trees. Ice! Great for skating - not so much for putting on trees! 8O
I just asked in the previous comment if you had recovered yet. When I was like 3, my parents went through such an event. From what I remember of the stories, it sounds very familiar. Glad yo u have "luz", that's what we call electrical service here in Chile. Look forward to you future posts.
Thanks! Ice storms are memorable, that's for sure. I've got some good icicles in the freezer, though, for some nice mixed drinks. :D
icicles mixed drinks, that would be a cool post
You are right, the ice is beautiful, but destructive. We haven't had an ice storm like that here in Iowa for several years. I'm prepared, though, with a wood stove for heat, a generator, and a separate panel and circuit wired through the house for backup generator power.
It sounds like you are all set. I imagine you can get some heavy snows, too. The longest I've been without power was 10 days in southern Michigan - and that was with a water well, too, so I couldn't get water to drink or for the bathroom, either. It's good to be prepared!
Our ice finally melted with some rain this afternoon. Otherwise, it had stayed frozen all this time. At least I got to use some icicles for drinks, lol. Gotta make the best of the situation! Hope your winter stays pretty, without crossing the line into destructive!
Thank you! We are warming back up starting today. The snow should be melted before Christmas.
Snow or not, have a wonderful Christmas!
You too, thank you! I just thought of this - you are in Oregon, correct? We have family out there in Lake Oswego. Proably a long distance from you, right?
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