Ice storm and bird count
Well - between the pneumonia, sinus infections, the ice storm that brought down most of two 50ft oak trees (one snapped right at the woodpecker’s nest) and which again bent our poor birch over so far that its top touched the ground… The chain saw jammed, the generator refused to start in the eight hour power outage, the internet connection vanished. Happy Days! It’s been a tricky week or two here in chilly Pennsylvania.
Some of the spruces and pines are still partly covered in covered in frozen snow. Pieris, kalmias, junipers and other evergreens are so weighed down - frozen to the ground for a week - that they may never regain their natural elegance. And those poor redpolls… where once we had a flock of forty, many were last seen huddled under the eaves… damp, soggy and sad. At the latest count we were down to thirteen – it’s Great Backyard Bird Count time so everything’s being counted. We have no flowers – so why not count the birds and help create a better picture of bird populations across the country? More details here.
You poor thing! A song popped into my head after reading your post. Did you ever see the show Hee Haw from the early 70's? If you did, remember the song that went, "If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all"?
I hope things improve for you soon.
Posted by: Robin | February 15, 2008 at 03:51 PM
Are you sure you're not stuck in Friday the 13th, Graham? I'm sorry for all your troubles...things have to get better soon, surely. We had an ice storm, too, and we've had about everything else except locusts and frogs from the sky, this winter. I long for spring!
Posted by: jodi | February 15, 2008 at 04:42 PM
You have had some misfortune, we have only had a couple of frosts here (lancashire) but it has been nice to look at. I am still listening to the Brit Mix it's a really cool radio show,only it should be on each day!
Posted by: Digger | February 21, 2008 at 07:29 AM
Thank you for your good wishes! Much better here till last night - then the snow started... 12in forecast... we're about half way.
I never saw Hee Haw... But, wearing my BitMix hat, "If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all" is a line from Born Under a Bad Sign, a blues by Albert King, made famous by Cream in 1968.
Glad you like The BritMix digger - I hope the snow plough comes so I can get in to the studio tomorrow!
Posted by: Graham Rice | February 22, 2008 at 03:31 PM