Maybe ----

Maybe if I took down the signs it would
all just go away ---

Update: The sun is shining so bright today, with warm winds coming
in overnight. It is already melting the ice from trees and power lines.
It is raining ice now and my tree limbs and plants are trying to spring back.
It is amazing to watch my bird feeders that hang from the Maple tree limb
rise back into the air that were practically dragging on the ground.
We got our phones back on last night and just about 6,000 in this area
are still waiting for their electricity. With 50 trees down across the highway
and lines in the section of Ash Cave area alone I see how lucky we were here
to have electricity out for only 5 to 6 hours.

Now if we can get the Ground Hog to cooperate tomorrow :-)

I know, I know Spring will come when it comes.

Trees of Glass

Do My Eyes Deceive Me !!!

Could that really be the Sun coming up to finally shine
through all of the ice, snow and clouds of the storm we
have been dealing with since Wednesday?
Will you stay around long enough to melt some ice?
You sure are a welcome sight!

It looks like it may stay for a while to make a the
ice glitter like a million diamonds through the trees.
I love Blue Skies !!

Lilac Bush Vs. Ice Storm 2009

And the Winner Is!
In this instance the Ice Storm of January 2009.






My 45 year old, ten foot high Lilac bush has been bent,
bruised and broken. I have two of them on the bank near
the highway, this one has been severely damaged and its
twin out the bank is bending dangerously over the bank into
the ditch.I am holding my breath that it will not break off
also and that I will just be able to trim back the bent limbs
when the ice melts.



We have been upgraded from a level 3 emergency area to a level 2.
We are still without phones but they tell us they will have service back by
this evening. The news reports stated this morning that 98% of Hocking
county was without electricity so I think that means that our road is the
only part that does have electricity. Thank goodness we have a different
electric provider in this section of the county because all those under another
provider are doing without. Our electric company trims trees all year long
as the weather permits them and it has made all of the difference in this ice
storm.

Other than being hard on trees and plants, and causing all the difficulties
that comes with such a storm it is so beautiful to see. If the sun ever comes
out it will be like millions of diamonds and jewels glittering upon everything.

I could not resist taking a lot of pictures even without the sunshine to light
up the landscape.






Poor Rhodies






Crape Myrtle












And I just cannot help myself, if there is a Cardinal in sight while I have
a camera in hand I have to take the picture.

Return to the Ice Age

Ohio and the Hocking Hill's came almost to a stand still
overnight and today. Here in Hocking County we got
3/4 of an inch of ice on top of the 4 inches of snow already
on the ground, with an additional 2 inches of snow on top
of all of the mix. We may have had more or less than the
states to which it was heading but it was enough for our
little county. We were under a level 3 snow emergency,
which means no one is allowed on the roads except
emergency vehicles.

The electricity blink on and off all night as the rain
an ice accumulated. I finally got up this morning to the
sound of cracking branches and trees. It was yet dark outside
and it sounded like the whole woods behind the house
was crashing down all around us. I just knew when it got
daylight there would be trees everywhere. But when it
got daylight I discovered that it was just limbs falling.
With the ice covering everything including the ground the
falling of limbs made quite a racket.
Eventually the electricity did go off from limbs and trees
across the lines, along with the telephone. We were lucky and
the electric was back on in five hours but we are still without
phones.
I did get a few pictures but it was before the 3/4 inch was
coating everything. I was afraid to venture out after that with
limbs and trees falling all around the house.
A trip to clean the ice from the satellite dish and the disintegrating
sounds of my forty-six year old, ten foot, lilac bush falling
behind me was enough to scare me to stay indoors for fear of
getting flattened. {My poor Lilac bush :( } The clean up will take
a long time of all of the limbs and trees that are down.
I will try to get more
later when it is safer and sunny so the ice shows up better.


















And with the ice and snow covering everything the birds
were flocking to the feeders to eat more than usual. Poor things trying to
stand up on the frozen ice on the ground, some sliding around
comically. It amazes me how they can cling to the frozen branches
of the trees.

































The Towhee's were back.

I Don't Even Know Your Name

I had a new visitor to the bird feeder this morning
and I do not know what kind of bird it is or its name.
Looking through my usual research information did
not reveal the identity either.
Does anyone know who this beauty is that paid a
visit to my Ohio backyard?










UPDATE!!!

Thanks to all of you : Jan, Barbara, Richard &Kim
who were able to help me with the
identification of my new bird.
An Female Eastern Towhee!!
The females are brown on the back, while the males are black.

That means I have a pair staying around the backyard.
I did spot a male and was able to get a picture and
find the identity of it and write a post about the Male Eastern Towhee.

Thanks Everyone for educating me!



Male Eastern Towhee