Mass, snow, ice

[OraLabora]

Wow…that’s about the same temperature as here in Vancouver right now. That’s pretty darn mild for out East!

Back down to a more normal -6C today, albeit in beautiful sunshine. Forecast for tomorrow is not so hot though: snow, freezing rain, max -4C then up to +5C and rain on Tuesday. A real mixed bag, not atypical for us this time of the year. Last year, it was +17C on Christmas eve, but I was in Vancouver where it was just a few degrees above freezing.

The good news is that the weather was pretty mild last night (about +2C) so my wife and I managed to make it to midnight Mass at the abbey, which was splendid as usual.

Three years ago, by Christmas eve we’d been without power for 3 days due to a major ice storm. For us, no power means no water as we’re on a well and no power means no pump. Fortunately there’s a spring where we can fill jugs, about 10 km away, for drinking water and to flush toilets, and we have a wood stove for heat and a gas barbecue outside to cook on. A friend who had power had us over Christmas eve for drinks and showers (not necessarily in that order) so we were able to make to midnight Mass. On the way home (about a 40 km drive), it was close to -30C. We had to stop for a stunned group of deer that were standing in the middle of the road and wouldn’t budge.

 

[jediliz]

Last Saturday and Sunday it was bitterly cold in our little corner of God’s green earth (-11 F one morning). On Christmas Day, the forecast high here is 60! Crazy. I’m hopeful that last weekend was the extent of our winter, but something tells me that’s not going to be how it works out.

I want crazy Nebraska winter complete with at least ONE school snow day (I volunteer at my old parochial elementary school three days a week)…I have items to use to play in the snow that I have rarely gotten to use. I don’t need the bitterly cold wind chills but I do like a light snow fall…plus, I want to be able to wear my winter boots I got in January this year…I want to actually get to use them.