Posted by Ed Kiser on February 03, 2009 at 22:54:04 user Kisered.
In Reply to: Re: Winter Holiday....again! posted by Adam Quinan on February 03, 2009 at 13:11:45:
Adam, you speak of a "heat wave in Toronto" - isn't that something of an oxymoron? I would think of "heat wave" and "Toronto" as being two things that are mutually exclusive.
But as for Kentucky - I've lived here now for around two and a half years, having spent the previous 31 years in SOUTH FLORIDA. Now there is a shift, from one extreme to a bit of another. So I left hurricane country to SNOW. I'd seen snow before; I suscribe to National Geographic Magazine, and I saw some there. But I did take one piece of hurricane related equipment with me, and that was a gasoline (I know, call it petrol, if you must...) power generator. So for the little time that the power had gone, due to the ice pulling limbs of trees down to crash onto power lines and snap them, I had the backup facility of that generator. The need for such a backup in Florida was to provide power to the refrigerator so as to not let spoil the food, but this time, here in Kentucky, that is NOT the problem, as it is colder outside than in the fridge. We could just set thing out on the screened-in porch, protected from varmits, yet well into freezing, with things not wanted to be frozen protected by putting them into an ice chest. Somwwhat of a reverse logic to use such a chest to avoid getting too cold. That was a switch. Have not been able to drive for now about a week and a half, with ice slick roads. Those that have tried to get out wind up in a ditch, which is not fun.
But we were fortunate in that the power outage was not all that long, and once we got on line again, it has remained steady. A lot of parts of this town have not had power for a week or more. But we were lucky to have the mayor of the town living just down our street. The western part of the state has really had severe problems, with days gone by with no power, and no heat, even to the point where there has been lives lost. So we here have been more fortunate, so let us count our Blessings.
But as awkward has the ice made living conditions, it has filled these eyes of mine with an unusual view of beauty, a vision that a fellow who has lived so long in South Florida just has not had the opportunity of seeing and enjoying such beauty. Seeing the snow, and the limbs heavy and encrusted with ice like so much jewelry, has proved rather inspirationsl, in that it motivated me to dig out WINTER HOLIDAY, and to more deeply appreciate Ransome's descriptions of the snow in his story. It took on an increased degree of reality, as now, I would look outside and SEE what he was describing. He made it look real, and now, I could see for myself just how real his descriptions truly were. We are all fortunate to be among those that truly appreciate the beauty of his artistry as he painted word pictures that made us a part of that moment.
So Adam, thanks for your concern, but at this time, we are doing fine. It is SNOWING rather heavily all day today, AGAIN, as it is definitely not the "hardly meant it..." kind of snow, so here we are into it all again.
Guess it is time to sew up some mittens made of rabbit fur.
Thanks, AR, you have brought so much joy to us all...
Ed Kiser, Kentucky