Ending December

There aren't words to fully describe today's weather. We woke up to trees covered and bending under the weight of ice - some broke or toppled, others just bent to the ground. The back roads were a mess - slippery underneath mush, and when I left a little before 10 o'clock for an appointment in St. Johnsbury, it was raining "cats and dogs." Just before I went to warm up my car, my neighbor, Luke, came by and spread salt and gravel on my driveway. Talk about great timing!

When I tried to open the overhead door in the garage, it was frozen solidly to the pavement. I did the usual kicks from inside, but it wouldn't budge. I have a window that sometimes freezes shut and I use a metal shoehorn to pry it open, so I grabbed my garden shovel and that worked perfectly. A little leverage in a few spots and the door went up - distributing a spray of ice, snow and water at me as it rattled and clunked overhead. The rain had been beating against it, and it was well coated with watery and ice that chipped and dripped as it moved. 

The road from home to Route 2 was pretty glare, even though the town had spread gravel a few minutes before I started out. Then Route 2 was really messy - but mostly slush that covered up the potholes that pock the stretch between West Danville and Danville Village. It was slow, rough going, and nearly every car I met splashed me with slush. Fortunately, nobody pulled out to pass me, even though I was only traveling at about 35-40 mph. The parking lot in St. Johnsbury was also slippery and wet. It had been treated, but with the rain pelting down, most of the salt and gravel probably washed away before it had a chance to do it's work.

The good news is that Dr. Prohaska pronounced me "discharged" from his care. Also, no more PT necessary. Apparently whatever I have managed to do at PT and at home to help my knee heal has worked and the doctor was impressed that I'd made such rapid recovery. I told him most of my "recovery" was easy because of the great job he did reattaching that tendon. He said only a few years ago at the three-month point which is where I am now, I would just be getting rid of a cast. There's some kind of new screws that work wonders, apparently - and fortunately, he was able to use them on me. I practically danced out of there!

We are looking at more miserable weather and then intense cold with possible wind, according to the forecast I heard this morning. I haven't bothered to listen to any more weather reports - I don't have to go anywhere, I picked up a few necessities on my way home today, so I'm good to see the New Year in all tucked in and comfortable.

I have another video for you to watch. This one was done by Jamie - of the birds at his feeder at home. There are not only some interesting and very pretty birds, there is also a curious shrew that shows up a little way into the video, and towards the end, a really clever little one-legged nuthatch. It is amazing to watch him maneuver almost as well as the other birds who can hold on with two feet. Jamie said he has been around for some time and last year mated and raised young, assisting in feeding the fledglings like any other good parent. Even though I have birds at my feeder, I enjoyed watching this - it is relaxing and perfect for just letting your mind quiet down from all the hullabaloo of the the holidays. Click HERE to watch. That's a mix of meal worms and seeds on the ground, and Marie makes the suet cakes which the birds seem to prefer over store-bought ones. The woodpeckers and chickadees follow Jamie and Marie around, demanding to be fed when the feeders are empty.

If you are celebrating the New Year, please do it safely. If you make resolutions, make only those you know you can achieve - it's too embarrassing to have to admit even to yourself that you've failed those resolutions again, just like last year, and the year before, and the . . . you get the picture. So be kind to yourself and resolve to make a new friend, get to appointments on time, watch more movies on TV, or talk to your neighbor. Easy stuff that you'll probably do anyway. You'll be more relaxed, won't need to beat yourself up, and you'll have an all-around successful year of resolutions achieved! Or just don't bother making any resolutions at all. That works, too.

Happy New Year!