I’ve been saying that since Monday and am now slapping myself upside the head with, “Be careful what you ask for”.
I don’t think we’ve seen the sun in two weeks. I know we haven’t seen it this week. As I write, we’ve had 5.6″ 5.7″ 5.8″ of rain since about 6pm Sunday and it’s still coming down. I looked back at my records and this is second only to what happened in September 2004 when the remnants of Hurricane Ivan blew through. The problem with this storm is:
You see that pink area? That’s where I am and pink means “Winter Storm Warning”. Being from Minnesota, 1-4 inches of snow doesn’t normally concern me. What does concern me is the ice that’s going to form underneath it. Our lovely, hilly, winding mountain roads are going to become coated as freezing rain hits before the snow. Although I can stay home, my husband has to drive over those roads, including across a dam, to get to and from work. We could have a problem with ice on tree branches, too, meaning possible power outages. I know the shrubs aren’t going to be happy as ice forms on their leaves.
What I’m most worried about is my garden (that didn’t exist in 2004). I have all raised beds (it’s about the only way to have more than an inch of dirt in any one location here on our side of the mountain) and right now, they look like swimming pools. I didn’t plant any water lilies or cattails but that’s about all that would survive. Even the normally unconcerned Wormwood is about to give up the ghost. And I’m scared to look at the Rosemary under its protective “greenhouse” of stakes and plastic. I planted it on a slope so its feet wouldn’t stay wet but with this much rain, there’s been no time for drying out.
The only saving grace is that temperatures aren’t supposed to say below freezing for more than 12 hours and the sun is supposed to come out tomorrow (cue “Annie”). I hope so. Then I can squish my way out to the garden to survey the damage while getting a good dose of Vitamin D at the same time. Hopefully, that Vitamin D will elevate my mood as I see how much replanting I’m going to have to do.