Tuesday, 11 February 2014
A bit of tropical vegetation (from Sunday) as we await freezing temps. Should be nasty by dawn. Probably worse south and east of here, unusually.
I’m trying not to fall into the anxiety-raised-by-contemplating-the-future trap.
Thursday, 30 January 2014
GJP goal: “Georgia Justice Project (GJP) breaks the cycle of poverty by defending the indigent criminally accused and, win or lose, standing with them as they rebuild their lives.” This is not Barry Scheck’s Innocence Project.
Walked to a fried chicken dinner with The Author and The Brothers in the revitalizing neighborhood along Edgewood and marveled at the new trolley tracks (not yet trolley-fied). Yeah, a bit chilly out (brrrr!), but we kept moving, slowing only for the icy zones and red lights. Fun!
If you haven’t already, read Rebecca’s story on Politico.com about Atlanta and the snow-event traffic jam. Most cogent piece on that subject to date.
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
We trotted out all our slick-walking strategies (e.g., stick to snowy edges where the footing is better (when it is); take teensy steps to keep your balance…), and wandered the neighborhood during the “heat of the afternoon” looking for sunny spots (that were less slippery—and warmer). Above freezing (at least in the sun), and blacktop meant some reversal of the traffic-stopping conditions. Temporarily anyway.
Yeah, not tough for the Midwest (thank you, S—and W!!, the star!), but paralyzing for this area.
We’ll awaken tomorrow and look for some global-warming.
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
In the last snowstorm, fingers were pointed at the city for not getting streets cleaned/sanded. Today, I think the city did fine with what they could control, mostly. The problem was often just plain too much traffic, and too many vehicles with drivers who were beyond their experience level. As we got closer to dusk, the temps kept dropping, and then ice came into play and basically it didn’t matter how many/few vehicles were out there—just plain NOT-driving weather!
Of course, the weather has been in bands, different depending on latitude…along with the late-day and overnight dropping temps….
We had to grin when we saw this Trunkster, complete with carrot nose! We also were glad to see kids skidding down hills, safely in parks.
Full report: we made a safe, albeit long, trip to the airport and back; took over three hours….
Saturday, 18 January 2014
This afternoon Mother Nature did her magic and cleared the sky for a bit. As dusk was arriving, the clouds came in, but we could still see the Olympics across the Sound.
This is approximately the same view as on Thursday.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
The “line” across the windshield is an artifact of the wiper, and not a worrisome blemish or other problem.
Through the windshield, we saw the snow pelting down (inasmuch as snow can pelt…snow, not ice). Then, after parking, we lived in the pelting snow.
Such fun for us Deep Southern Flatlanders. Truly. We bounced through snow-land to the lodge and restaurant, fortified ourselves, then worked our way downhill back to our parking space.
The snow was coming down in big flakes, fast, so that after two swipes to clean the windshield, then run back and swipe the taillights, then double-check the windshield, and whoops, it needs cleaning again.
Speaking from personal experience, when the heat comes on in the waiting car, then quit with the unending snow-cleaning, hop in, and let gravity win.
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
I loved the sun today. I loved that the park* was (almost) mine. Other denizens included carousel horses (very quiet), a wide assortment of birds, and, over about sixty-five minutes, nine people. No lie. The park was dehumanized. In the sun, cold (for ATL), but only breezy, and not too bad—if you could keep moving and had “the right” coat, hat, etc.
* Piedmont Park, of course. Birds included mallards and muscovys, sparrows, robins, cardinals, mockingbirds, and those are the ones I remember.
Monday, 6 January 2014
The story here is the cold. It’s cold—for ATL—today, not above freezing. But the real story is tomorrow—single digits. Brrrr.
Sure, we can photo ice to show “cold,” but plants can tell the story, too. This plant (not sure what) is rather limp, reacting to the temperature. I’m thinking it’s really going to suffer when we lose another 20°F.
We’ll see if I get back here to check on it tomorrow….
Sunday, 5 January 2014
I pushed myself to get out and walk today, not knowing how grimly cold it’ll be tomorrow—and, more so, the next day. There’s a giant culvert behind the fringe of hanging vines, with flowing water. But not by dawn tomorrow. I just heard a meteorologist say we may not have above-freezing temps for the next four days.
Fortunately, I have a giant down coat—ugly but functional—so I…should…be able to get out. And a face-covering hat (also ugly). And thinsulate gloves (very worn, but still; neither ugly nor pizzazz-y).
Sunday, 29 December 2013
View from a boat ramp east of Buford Dam.
Long-time readers (all two of you), may remember my repetitive comments in previous years about the levels of Lake Lanier, upstream of ATL on the Chattahoochee. Here’s proof that, for now, the level is almost two feet above “full pool.”