Sunday, January 12, 2014

Raining Branches and Eagles

Wind Blasts the Pines
Rain Melting Snow into Pools of Silver
Wind Overcomes Rain
Eagles Don't Fly Well in Wind Gusts
Branches Raining Down in Elmira
Branch as Big as a Hybrid Car
And Still He Shovels
Like a Burlington Northern freight train, wind blasts the house on Elmira Pond so hard that the foundation quivers. Wind blowing through pines is usually a succulent sound, but this is banshee-screaming, door-hinge ripping, pine-toppling wind.

After several storms rolled over the Cascades and pounded the Selkirks with a fist full of snow, our roof shed four-foot piles of drift-snow and our driveway became the tundra. Then rain swooshed over with warm, melting drops, pooling snow into swaths of silver puddles and heaping slush back onto the driveway.

Todd is pushing slush, unphased by 60 mph gusts.

Stepping outside, I'm attacked by the plastic chair crouching on the south porch. Untangling it from my legs before we both  trip over the edge, I see an eagle. Flinging the chair to the ground, it somersaults across slush in the mighty wind. The eagle bobs low beneath rain clouds. This is one of those moments where grace seems to disappear. I retreat inside the moaning, vibrating house.

Todd is a machine with a shovel; he doesn't even wobble in the wind.

Clouds break apart, scudding like sailboats attempting to break a world record for speed. The rain stops and I'm mesmerized by the roiling clouds and the return of blue sky like ever-changing swirls of finger paint. Winds screeches so loud at the south door, both dogs lift their heads momentarily before settling back into their nap. Sunshine flashes like lightening from behind bubbling clouds.

Todd is now swinging his shovel overhead.

The eagle that was bobbing in the wind is coursing out of control and Todd takes defensive action. I hustle out the door, fighting to close it when I hear a snap-pop. The eagle has managed to  fly off over the pond, heading to the stand of tamaracks, but now branches are breaking. Most are single boughs, but the 70-foot trio of Ponderosa pines in the front yard begin to rain down branches as big as hybrid-cars.

Two massive clusters, each big enough to be its own tree, crash to the ground. Smaller branches, twig-like in comparison begin pelting my legs like little whips. The wind is so crazy, it's silly. Who ever heard of it raining branches and eagles? Back into the house I scurry.

And Todd finishes moving slush off the driveway.

Join me in sharing a silly story on Sunday with blog host, Everything Susan.

http://everythingsusanandmore.blogspot.com/2014/01/silly-on-sundays-4.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EverythingSusan+%28Everything+Susan%29

12 comments:

  1. Wow - what a wild, windy day at Elmira Pond! You were lucky none of the branches (or Eagle) landed on your head. Todd is a determined shoveler to withstand the elements in pursuit of a clean driveway! Love the way you put words together. You've painted word pictures for me every bit as eloquent as your photographs.

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    1. It was funny to see Todd momentarily swing his shovel overhead! An eagle upon the head is the opening scene to a horror flick! Thanks for reading!

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  2. I was thinking I didn't want to get outside in my wind, but after reading this, I would be a wimp not to take Toby for his afternoon walk. I hate that your trees are snapping off like that. Your hubby will need a nice reward for his hard duty. Always love stopping by Elmira Pond. Sounds like today is a day to batten down the hatches and hunker in your bunker. Be safe!

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    1. When you take Toby for a walk, watch out for eagles! The really do dare... We are lucky to have debris around us and not on us, and Toddler gets beef enchiladas for dinner and his pick of the library movies!

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  3. oh my....way too much snow and wind for me!

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  4. Snow is so very beautiful and so are your photos! I can't even imagine 4 ft. of snow. We haven't had that much snow in our area in decades. Unfortunately, we end up getting mostly ice. Go Todd!!!

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    1. Incredible how the rain is washing it away. The ice is hard to deal with and I really do like the deep snow, especially since it rarely gets too far below freezing here! Todd was a trooper.

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  5. I was taking a shower today and heard this huge noise and knew the ice had fallen into the driveway off the house. Luckily both vehicles were not there :) Hubby was driving home last night after work and said he was driving through little lakes on the hwys. Hoping that the weather doesn't turn cold cold and freeze everything that has started to melt or we'll be in for a lot of bad accidents on the roads.

    Thank goodness you have Todd there to help move all that slush. That stuff is so heavy! time to do the bring spring on chant :)
    Thanks for linking up today!

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    1. I'm ready to start the spring chant, can actually feel it singing in my blood because I notice the days getting a bit longer already! Now your ice dropping off rooftops is deadly! I saw the photos you posted.

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  6. I wouldn't have even missed seeing your photos, as just concentrating on your story painted them for me. Your words are magical, Charli, igniting imagination in the reader.

    Todd is terrific to wield that shovel through the wicked weather and fallings from the sky.

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    1. Todd is a wicked wielder, indeed! Thanks for reading!

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