Winter Life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

The Diary of a Snow Shoveler

 in the UP

Oct 23

6:00 PM. It started to snow.

 The first snow of the season the wife and I and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven.

 It looks like a Grandma Moses Print.

 So romantic

 we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

November 15th
We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape.


 What a fantastic sight!


Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World?


 Moving here was the best idea I've ever had.


 Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again.


 I did both our driveway and the sidewalks.
The snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks, closed in the driveway, I got to shovel again. 


                             What a perfect life.

November 30th:


The sun has melted all our lovely snow.


 Such a disappointment.


 My new neighbor Bob tells me not to worry, we'll definitely have a white Christmas.


 No snow on Christmas would be awful!
 Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again.
 I don't think that's possible.


 Bob is such a nice man,


 I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14
Snow lovely snow! 8" last night.


The temperature dropped to -20.
 The cold makes everything sparkle so.
The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks.


 This is the life!

The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again.


 I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way.

December 15


20 inches forecast.
 Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer.
 Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels.


                 Stocked the freezer.

The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out.


 I think that's silly.


 We aren't in Alaska, after all.  
                         This is the just the UP.

December 16
Ice storm this morning.
Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt.                            Hurt like heck.
 The wife laughed , which I think was very cruel.

December 17
Still way below freezing.
 Roads are too icy to go anywhere.

Electricity was off for 5 hours.
 I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm.
 Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her.
 Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her.
 God I hate it when she's right.
 I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20
Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the white stuff last night.
 More shoveling. Took all day.
 Darn snowplow came by twice.

Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy.
I think they're lying.
 Called the Coop store to see about buying a snow blower and they're all out.
 Might have another shipment in March.
 I think they're lying.

December 22
Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white crap fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt till August.


Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he's just too busy. I think the jerk is lying.

December 23


Only 2" of snow today. And it warmed up to 0.


 The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she nuts!!!


 Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did 
but I think she's lying.

December 24


6". Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack.


 If I ever catch the man who drives that snowplow I'll drag him through the snow by his nose and beat him  with my broken shovel.


 I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been!

Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the snowplow.

December 25


Merry -bleeping- Christmas! 20 more inches of the slop tonight. Snowed in.


 The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil.


 I hate the snow!


 . The wife says I have a bad attitude.


 I think she's a  idiot.

December 26
Still snowed in. Why the heck did I ever move here?


It was all HER idea.


 She's really getting on my nerves.

Jan 27


Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze, plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him

Jan 28


Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. THE WITCH is driving me crazy!!!

Jan 29


10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in.


 That's the silliest thing I ever heard. 


How dumb does he think I am?

Jan 30


Roof caved in.


 I beat up the snow plow driver he is  suing me


 The wife went home to her mothers. 9" predicted.

Jan 31
I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.

Fe 8


In the hospital.  just love those little white pills they keep giving me.


 Why am I tied to the bed?

Sunday a Day of Rest and Planning for new greenhouse…..:)

I love Sunday ,  the sun is now higher

 

…today we changed time and now it is lighter later.  These are wonderful months.

 

On the sad note my new fish died.  We called him Waldo cause you could never find him….rip

 

Waldo is in Fish heaven.

LJ said he froze.  mmmmmmmmmmmm  well he might have been to cold.  He was an Algae eater.  I would tell you what kind

but do not know how to spell his name.  But a hint it begins with a P…………………………….  and it is about that long. 

 

 

My venture into AquaPondics was not a successful one….but hey we do love the fish.  Will not be eating these fish.

 

Going to put down thoughts on our last 40 years of gardening. 

 

We do love the earth and the smell of dirt.

 

 

 

God is good……………..all the time…….

March 12 My New Cedar Planter

My husband is amazing.
  He is so talented and gifted on making things.  A picture of this Cedar planter was online and it seemed to be the perfect thing for our porch to start lettuce and put in a couple cherry tomatoes on top.  (Instant salad right outside the kitchen door).  He went to his Friend Marks who owns Superior Sawmill in Trenary and bought some cedar.  Came home and whipped this baby together in an afternoon.  I LOVE IT>>>>


Can not wait to plant …


Started a couple Heirloom Cherry tomatoes yesterday…  (In the house)
Some more lettuce
and some sunflower seeds for sprouts..  Yip you heard me right…


At Growing power they sprout sunflower seeds.  (the ones we feed the birds)  He told us they were full of Vit D…so this is another experiment on my part.  Just a real small little pot..  


Yeah yeah  it is a bit early.  But this time of year it is just good to smell some dirt.  White everything is beautiful but I am really starved for green.
Anything green…. 




Private Bits and Pieces of gratitude and blessings from my mind.
We went last night and saw our Very Own Cougars win the basketball districts…..Go Cougars. ( Our grandson is on the team…) 


Prayers for all the many people in Japan who are suffering from the 8.5 'earthquake.  May family’s find each other who are still alive and missing. 
Grateful for our servicemen..  Asking for protection for them especially be with Jesse, Andrew, Jason,
So thankful for our family and extended family.  Thankful and blessed for our new sponsored little girl. Please Lord be with her. Palesa is her name  she is 8. 

His Mercies
never come to an End:
they are new
Every Morning
great is thy faithfulness.
Lamentations 3: 22-23

Year Forty...with one great guy

Forty years.
A few rough ones.  (Maybe two_)
But an amazing life with an amazing guy.
As our good friend Alice says..  " He is the love of my earthly  life"


God is good.........................all the time

A trip to Milwaukee to
Growing Power.  This is an amazing place.  Something everyone should look into.  A total perfect way to garden Organically and raise your healthy produce.  Greens and Fish.  I know some people like Alma get all the healthy fish they want.  Thanks to Kenny.  (and a good lake)  but so many place in the world they have no food.  Very little water.  This is a complete eco system as close to Mother Nature as you can get.  For very little money people could have access to healthy food and fish.  Will write more later on this amazing place.