Day six of The Great February Melt

I awoke this morning to a temperature of 34.9 degrees.

This is now day six of what I have to call the "Great February Melt" of '08.

For six nights now, temperatures have been above freezing. This is better weather than the midwest! According to the weather liars we have another day before temps start dropping towards normal-whatever that is these days. But still forecasted to be above freezing during the day.

I have to say it's wonderful to have both daylight and be comfortable outdoors (if it's not windy), it's been a real treat in that regard....but oh my gosh, the ice!!

Any place plowed without a lot of traffic, is nothing short of a skating rink. My own driveway has a bit of a dip in it, and thus water drains down from both ends and off the side. It's as smooth as glass, and I wouldn't even think of trying to walk on it just now. I put some sand out and drove a bucket of same up to the barn, to have on hand. Night before last when I drove up the mash bucket, the front end of my car slid around about eight feet before gaining traction, nerve wracking!

The main roads are mostly dry, secondaries pretty much the same way, but subdivision roads that weren't scarfed and parking lots are mostly scary. Of course there has been a lot of sand and gravel mix put down, which helps-but just means you run the risk of dinging your windshield.

One thing I noticed yesterday as I was looking out the office window during a sunny break-the tree branches looked wrong to me. It took me a full minute to figure out what wasn't "right" and it's the color of them. Just ever so faintly, a hint of a dull dark muddy red color. I had to go check the rugosa roses in front of the shop to verify-and yep, itsy bitsy teeny tiny little buds trying to form!!

I don't even want to go there on climate change, I really dont, but this is rediculous!