1231/8th February, 2021 
1025/9th February 2021
A quick weather review from Cambridge, New York and yes, it’s snowing
Previous winters, here, when we’ve had heavy snow, it lingered for a while but inevitably the weather warmed sufficiently between snowfalls so that it didn’t keep accumulating.
This did, in fact, happen after that huge storm in mid-December, or we would have walls of the stuff.
As it is, it has become slightly treacherous negotiating one’s old footprints as they are deep and frozen. Easy to catch the toe of your boot as you lift your foot.
It’s become a bit of a daily dance, going out to deal with the bird baths, which look like some kind of icy oasis:
Next winter is bound to be different, but if we have the promise of a similar period of cold , I shall make another ice “sculpture” with these bird bath ice blocks as well.
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1st of February.
Now, I intended to start building a second block that day, but I forgot, as I did on the 2nd:
On the 3rd, I’d laid foundations for the February tower.
Then on the 4th, which was a very sunny day, disaster!
Oh no! It all fell down! That day was so mild, things began to thaw and my icy foundations gave way.
But it would get cold again, so I decided to retrieve the situation.
Only one level was ruined, so I removed the two extra layers from January and began a more solid February.
So I thought, but on the 5th the sun was warm again:
So things went a bit pear-shaped.
And it did not get cold enough overnight to freeze the water into a block, so on the 6th, I had to work with bits, and try to stick them. Only our snow doesn’t stick.
My only accomplishment was freezing my fingers.
And convincing Grant that I am patently barmy.
The 7th being way more gloomy, I took a chance, adding another block to February. I poured just a little water over the towers, thinking it might freeze them solid.
Yesterday morning was bitterly cold and the water bowl even had a pattern. It created a beautiful solid block.
Even when the sun came out, it was still very cold.
Trying to fortify February failed and the fingers suffered.
But how pretty is that? The sun lit up the snow like diamonds:
This morning’s light was so poor, I had to use a flash to make a record of my latest addition. Which is now getting buried by today’s snowfall:
What I can’t figure out is how February is already almost as tall as January. I think he must have lost some status in the catastrophe of February 4th. (“He”?)
Grant just came to look outside and announced that all this snow is my fault, that my sculpture is telling the snow Gods that we require more. He’s getting tired of shoveling the walkway.
Penny, however, is not deterred from taking her morning constitutional:
Most of the sparrows fly off when they see me, but I caught a handful at the bird bath, just to prove that they do still enjoy having water, even in winter!
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Current view from my window.
It’s hard to believe that a few weeks from now, all will be green, but I have faith that it is so.
My lavender still peaks out. I can’t wait to see it thrive
Maybe my ice towers are like notches on a wall, counting days? I don’t think so. I have always liked making things, so why not of ice?
Will there be a March tower?
It’s doubtful……
Perhaps you should sell tickets to see the leaning towers of Cambridge!