Monday, March 4, 2013

March '13 snow

It was a memorable weekend.

 Saturday March 2, it snowed lightly all day.  Glad I had plenty of firewood.  By Sunday morning, there was a good 2" of snow on the ground.    I hope kids got a chance to go sledding because this was their last best chance this season. It was just beautiful. I wish I went sledding, but I enjoyed some walks, socializing, working out at the Fowler Center, and seeing my friend John on his birthday.











Laurel Branch creek was roaring in the valley below, the bird feeder was very busy with colorful finches, and the snow provided a beautiful mountain backdrop to a warm fire and some indoor projects.



Window view


Map Room

I wanted a detailed large map for the house so I obtained the 4 contiguous USGS Topo maps for the Sewanee/Monteagle South Cumberland area.  After buying and returning several frames, I decided to make my own 48"x 36" frame with plexiglass.  I mounted all four maps as one and illuminated it with an overhead clamp light - the best solution.  Always good to see the 'big picture.'


After much thought, I've decided to move my weather instruments away from the house to the old satellite mount about 50' from the house.   I don't need a lightning attractor like that 30' steel pole attached to my house.  I think I will need an additional 10' of pipe and a practical means of raising and lowering the mast.   Still brainstorming that.   I think I'm going to buy the Davis Vantage Vue weather station and eventually establish an automated weather data and webcam page online.


I finally found a Preway cone shaped fireplace that will be integrated in my screen house on the bluff.   I was hoping to start work on that week after next, but now I think I may postpone that til April/May.   I really want to get that weather station up and away from my house before spring storms.   That will be priority for spring break.

Hard to believe Spring break is less than a week a way and spring wildflower season is just around the corner.


I took the video below on Saturday afternoon 3/2/13 to remember this late winter snow ... especially when I look back during the warm seasons.

1 comment:

democommie said...

I use the sound of the city's plows to tell me how much it's snowed overnight. If their plowblades are shrieking I know that they're throwing sparks because the snow is less than a couple of inches. When it's muffled, and I hear a "whump" as it goes by my driveway, I know that it's wet/heavy snow and it's time to crank up the snowthrower and get Buddy's stilts (he only has three inches of ground clearance).

Sounds like you're having fun, carry on!