February 19 , 2021
Powerless
A sound awoke me : a clicking . Then , entire silence , no furnace hum , no sound at all . Just before 2 a.m. on Monday , February 15 , 2021 , the major power go out . The gleefully expect snow had indeed arrived , where at dawn we all face surprise that we had n’t anticipated . freeze rainfall started the wintry ball cast a few days before Valentine ’s Day Sunday . On Saturday break of day , our firecracker fern ( one even in bloom ) spun us frappe sculptures when stem froze and split . aboriginal Verbesina virginica is famous for this caper , but this meter , all kind of plants bring together in . Before work on Friday , I ’d taken a bucket out to deliver ice - tinged and/or sop wet narcissus and leucojum blooms . After tuck into vessel of ardent weewee , I set the blow drier to low and stand up a few base away to dry out them off . In my imagination , they sighed a big “ Ahh . ” But I cast the job at styling!Golden Narcissus ‘ Marieke ’ was just a day or two away from trumpeting its hatchway . A neighbor walking her dog gripe , “ Getting a moving-picture show before the frost ? ” She was upset about her plants , too . By Valentine ’s Day , the coldest on record , one bud unfurled against leucojum ’s resuscitate white-hot tear . The house was sweet fragrant as we gathered flashlights and candles , gather water for drinking and toilet even , and overstep off USB portable chargers for the phones . AND , made enough hearty swither to last for a few days ( I ’d made bean soup on Saturday to alternate with stew.)Snow is such a fallal for us that Monday ’s marvelous deep mantle was unfeignedly awing . Over a few hours , we got more coke ( 6.4 ” ) than we ’ve view total in 20 age . Agave schidigerasnowcone , anyone?Spiky snowYucca pallida . Despite no heat inside , it was still good enough for more narcissus buds to open and catch the snow-clad show . Wednesday ’s icy pelting crystallise our world . It fly even more branch across Ithiel Town ( include one small live oak tree leg for us ) and bow countless branches like our mountain laurel wreath . Hungry goldfinch still found the Niger thistle confluent . All along , we ’ve course wench and squirrels by pushing out an old plastic trash can lid full of seeds and shell-less peanuts since it was too icy to get to the feeder . I ’d get a seed and suet confluent on Saturday that was a hit , too , especially with a wren who pecked at it until dark . A White - fly squab , all fluffed out , posed on a geological fault . Then we get word a Brobdingnagian dissonance on Wednesday , and this one was delightful!A huge flock of Cedar waxwing and robins descended in a chirping feeding frenzy on the front yard ’s yaupon holly , a joyful reminder about how our plant can help thirsty wildlife . Their chattering , politics , and antics to scarf down every fruit broke another book . picture circulate from window shots . And , they distracted us from a situation we were powerless to amend . Wildlife biologist Danielle Bellenytold us a few week ago in an interviewthat the large numbers of waxwing and Turdus migratorius this year is called “ irruption ” when nutrient ply north of us are diminished for birds .
We are powerless to protect everything in our garden , not just from unusual cold , but also from utmost drought and floods . We can only make the best choices we can for our climate , grime , water resource , and wildlife . Then , sometimes , we must accept going and try again . What plant will make it after a track record 144 successive hr below freezing weather?Only meter will recount . Let me know how your flora fare — we may not know about some for a few months , but let ’s memorialize this together . clinch to you all , Linda
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