Batten Down the Hatches

This wind... this W I N D is driving me nuts!!

I'm noise sensitive - meaning, I have super sonic hearing. I can hear what people are saying 2 rooms away. And, don't even think about whispering because I'll still hear you. Being noise sensitive is interesting with 5 kids as I tend to crave solitude and silence. I rarely watch tv. I don't have a radio on in the car - when my kiddos were little, they were taught to be quiet in the car - and other carpool moms would comment on how well behaved they were unlike their own screamers. Well, I just can NOT handle loud noises or sustained noises.... like this wind that sounds like my roof is going to be airborne any second. It's blowing so bad I woke up in the middle of the night. I have an incredible headache from listening to the sustained winds.

Last weekend, the impending doom and gloom forecasted by the local weather gurus had us pegged for HAIL! LIGHTENING! THUNDER! TORNADOES! THE END OF TIME!! Just kidding, they'd never predict the end - the chance for drama would be over. Ironically, the only thing we got here was wind (and a lot of it) and some rain. That's it. No drama, no hail or tornado ~ not that I'd want any!!

Now, they are predicting that tonight into tomorrow we're going to be in a BLIZZARD! OF! EPIC! PROPORTIONS! Like nothing we've ever seen before! Anywhere from 1 to 12 inches! Blowing and drifting snows! White outs! Etc! ETC! ETC!!! Oh, and Sunday, it'll be above freezing and the GREAT MELT will begin!

Cole, the 10 year old, isn't a lover of winter. He prefers spring and summer and wishes we lived in New Mexico or at least Texas. Or heck, if we'd consider it, how about Hawaii?! So, this morning, he was grumbling about how ticked off he was that THEY were gonna cause us to have a blizzard RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF SPRING. Okay, that was too funny. We've had some spring-like weather, but it's not spring yet. I asked him who "they" are that he thinks makes the weather... he stared/glared for a while and then admitted that no people made the weather but he was tired of hearing doom and gloom weather reports.

I agree, I'm tired of it too. I say, let the chips fall where they may, we'll survive. All the news folks are saying to get to the stores to shop because you just don't know when you'll be able to get there with this blizzard bearing down on us. Ha! I don't have to run to the store to stock up for the 24 hour blizzard - heck we could eat like kings for about 3 months on our stockpiles.

But, in true Little House on the Prairie fashion, we'll be stringing a rope up from the back porch to the chicken coop, just in case, you know, it IS a blizzard and we gotta have eggs.

PS I just checked out the book Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz from the library. I'm interested in trying some of the great recipes in it. If you enjoy fermented/probiotic food, enter to win delish Salsa by visiting Drews site. (If you Twitter, I'm @mschnieders. )

Update: Okay, so it started off doing some spitting snow/rain with brief showers of hail. Mostly, it's just been ice spitting out of the sky. Makes for some slippery walking in the yard. I did go pick up the kids early - I prefer to beat the rush. :)

There is hardly any snow in any of this mess - just ice, ice pellets and sleet. This is our older dog Lilly, who doesn't mind the puppies as long as everything is done her way.

Oh, and my puppies are part kangaroo! LOLOL Whenever I move, they are hopping in front and all around me like little spring loaded cutie pies. Totally cracks me up - surprised I caught the image as they bounce like Tiggers. Currently, nothing is falling from the sky and the winds have thankfully calmed down!