Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: winter

  • Thursday Throwback – Niagara Falls in the Winter

    1974 Niagara Falls
    1974 Niagara Falls

    Welcome to Niagara Falls in winter of 1974. From Left to right it’s Mark, Len, and Mike (my husband). The Eklunds were moving from Ohio to Carthage, New York which is way upstate New York. Apparently along the way they stopped by the falls. Don’t they look warm and happy. Really Mark, I’m sorry you look like.  “Fine take the picture now can we go get in the warm car?”

  • Thursday Throwback – Raise them Right

    1995-mike-aaron-shovel-snow

    Welcome to 1995 Kalamazoo Michigan. This was my second foray into snow territory to live. Aaron was born in Kalamazoo so early on when there was shoveling to be done he joined in. Later when we moved back to snow country in Wisconsin the rule was if it snowed everyone gets up early and goes out shovel. Aaron throughout middle school and high school was awakened at 5:30 with the rest of and handed a shovel. You know what I don’t miss those days. I don’t miss that kind of snow.

    After living in upstate New York we moved to Charleston South Carolina. We kept our snowshovels not knowing if we’d get transferred back up to where we’d need them. One day the young boy whose grandparents lived on a cul de sac came over while I was in the garage. He was amazed by such a large shovel and our sled. I like living where I have to explain what those are used for and how they are used.

  • Winter Storms – It’s What We Do In Wisconsin

    Winter Storms – It’s What We Do In Wisconsin

    If you know me – you know I hate snow. I despise it. I’ve lived in Upstate New York, Connecticut, Michigan, and now Wisconsin. Each time my hatred so snow has grown. I’ve been here going on 9 years – it went from being pretty if I was inside and warm to keep the blinds closed I don’t want to see the damn stuff. A friend here asked me when I was going to develop at least an appreciation for snow, I said “when it’s warm and dry.” “That’s sand.” she said. “Exactly, ” I replied, “I’d rather be a the beach.” If the truth be known I don’t like sand either. Having lived where it is sand – trust me sand gets into everyTHING best to have tile floors and throw rugs that can be shaken out. However having spent half my life where it snows and half my life where it doesn’t – I prefer doesn’t and will take sand over snow any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

    Yet I’ve got at least another decade in Snowberia… so I thought I’d share what it looks like to live where we are getting regular snow storms of multiple inches at least weekly. Heck we deal with them then the East Coast whines and names the damn things.

    For the benefits of my friends who have never lived through real winters (yes Tennesseans this includes you)  here’s what every day looks like.

    Here’s what it looks like at home in the winter –

    DSC_5646
    Our street after clearing…
    Wisconsin Winter
    View from my office
    Wisconsin Winter
    Our porch in winter
    Wisconsin Winter
    Porch Windows

    Then this year I added the joy of driving to work in winter –

    Wisconsin Winter
    I get to clean off my car. The windshield wipers are left up so they don’t freeze to the windshield. You see when you drive the car and it gets warm inside and the motor the snow turns to water then park – zoom ice again as it cools.
    Wisconsin Winter
    Some would call that pretty trees I’d say they will break under the weight. Also the piles on the sides are getting heavy they ice and make concrete bumpers should you be hit into one. I know I got hit one winter and spun into a snow bank – more damage from the bank than the Cadillac Esclade that hit me. Oh and as the winter wears on with weekly storms the piles become harder to see around. They contain road salt killing pretty trees and stuff under them.
    Wisconsin Winter
    These are the neighborhood roads. To conserve salt after the onslaught of storms the secondary roads are just salted at intersections now and sanded else where. They become a sandy sludge. Oh if the snow banks get too hight then front loaders and dump trucks have to come after the snowplows and salt/sand truck to load the snow into the dump truck and haul it away to keep roads clear.
    Wisconsin Winter
    Main roads (4 lane or more) get fully salted. Oh and here you can see the melt on the windshield… I didn’t introduce you to road salt film on the windshield as I was was driving but it happens and hopefully your windshield spray hasn’t frozen over so you can clear it. It can get so bad that it’s a white if you don’t have spray… I’ve had to stop fill up the resovior on trips. Also have had to stop, raise the hood, reach under the insulation find the tube to the spray head and squeeze the tube to break up the ice in it to get the spray going. Yeah this is so much fun – one person shouldn’t have it all…

    Oh there’s posts coming up of Mike’s snow shoveling. Yeah that’s another joy. I’d rather have to mow three times a week like in Charleston than ever see anyone shovel or blow snow again… Until next time –