It’s actually kind of pretty…if you don’t have to go anywhere…and no one you love has to go anywhere…and you’re one of the lucky ones who manages to keep electricity throughout the whole thing…and you haven’t lost any big branches from any of the big trees out back…

Yesterday was our third ice storm in less than two weeks. It was even bad enough to shut the University of Iowa down…which hasn’t happened (because of ice) in ten years.

Things are back to normal today…which means I’m still working through Scene and Structure and still trying to figure out how to structure the second half of T.J.’s Story. I may take a break and go Christmas shopping…


Ice storm!

7 thoughts on “Ice storm!

  • December 12, 2007 at 10:52 pm
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    Dori,

    I don’t know what an ice storm is exactly. Does everything get coated with ice? Does it rain icicles? What?

    Inquiring minds who live in sunny Arizona want to know.

    Reply
    • December 13, 2007 at 7:27 pm
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      Interesting! I wonder what kind of weather you get in Arizona that I wouldn’t understand?

      I should’ve taken a picture…no, it doesn’t rain icicles. The precipitation falls as regular old rain, but the temp. is below freezing, so it freezes on everything. And I do mean EVERYTHING. Our roads and sidewalks were coated in about a 1/2-3/4 inch layer of solid ice. Every branch of every bush/tree is coated in ice (little stick branches are encased in about an inch of solid ice)…which really weighs them down. The weight can cause trees and power lines to snap (we have two elementary schools that are still closed because they don’t have electricity). You can’t shake the ice off the branches because you’ll likely snap the whole branch. All you can do is wait for it to melt.

      It’s off the roads and sidewalks (well, off OUR sidewalks because we went out and salted it and then chipped it off…not everyone has done this) now, but it’s still on the trees/branches.

      Reply
      • December 13, 2007 at 8:14 pm
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        Brr… I think I need some hot chocolate just from your description.

        I’m glad we don’t get ice storms in Tucson. Hope the ice melts soon.

        P.S. In Tucson, we have a saying, “When the ice melts on the Santa Cruz…” That means, the first day it officially hits 100 degrees or higher!

        Reply
  • December 13, 2007 at 12:10 pm
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    Good luck, Dori! I love ice storms…if, as you said, you can just cozy up and look at the pretty crystal scene.

    My agent asked on the phone Monday about my novel, which is still sitting there untouched from my first draft a year ago. I’m terrified to dive into it because it too needs major, major structural work in the second half. And unlike you, I’ve never written a novel successfully, and I’m absolutely terrified!

    Good luck with yours. You can do it!

    Reply
    • December 13, 2007 at 7:33 pm
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      You can, too!!! You just need to find the poetry in a novel.

      BTW, I don’t remember many ice storms in Minnesota. (Maybe I’m remembering it wrong?) We got a lot more SNOW there…more ice here.

      Reply
  • December 13, 2007 at 2:11 pm
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    Here’s hoping for a rapid THAW! I saw the pics on the news and it looled devastating.

    Nothing here yet…but it IS icy this morinng. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before we get socked, too.

    Reply
    • December 13, 2007 at 7:34 pm
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      It’s thawing! I keep hearing cracks and bangs of ice falling off the trees behind us. (It’s warmer today!) As long it’s just ice and not whole branches.

      Reply

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