Category: Winter

SFH Journal, SFH Weather, Winter

SFH Journal: 2019-01-09 through 12 – Winter Storm Gia – Prelude

Highlight: The big news for this part of Virginia is the arrival of Winter Storm Gia. It’s not a blizzard, but it’s impact on Rappahannock County and on the vast (almost 1.25 acres) Serendipity Farmhouse estate is noticeable. As I am writing this on Sunday, January 13th, we are now into the second day of the storm and expect more snowfall this afternoon. When the storm subsides, I intend to post pictures and facts about the event.

Last year we talked about Winter Storm Riley (here) and now we are under the influence of Winter Storm Gia. Naming winter storms is a relatively new practice. You can find a history of the practice and a listing of the names for winter storms for the 2018-2019 winter season at – Winter Storm Names For 2018-19 Revealed

The Weather History Graph for the SFH WX Station (see below) for January 12th shows temperature, dew point, and wind indications as the front edge of the storm passed over SFH. Note that the snow began to fall between four and five PM, just as the temperature and dew point merged.

ws gia arrives

SFH WX Station Report: The reporting period begins with relatively balmy temperatures for January. The warmer weather moved out and was replaced by cold air from the north. On the 12th, Winter Storm Gia moved in from the west and southwest and met with the cold air. Temperatures dropped, dew points rose and Voila! SFH is now covered in white.

2019-01-09 Full details here.

Summary High Low Average
Temperature 51.6 °F 29.7 °F 40.7 °F
Dew Point 32.5 °F 10.9 °F 21.3 °F
Humidity 64% 36% 47%
Precipitation 0 in — —

2019-01-10 Full details here.

Summary High Low Average
Temperature 34 °F 26.6 °F 30.3 °F
Dew Point 13.8 °F 8.1 °F 11.4 °F
Humidity 54% 38% 47%
Precipitation 0 in — —

2019-01-11 Full details here.

Summary High Low Average
Temperature 39.7 °F 23 °F 31.3 °F
Dew Point 20.1 °F 11.1 °F 14.6 °F
Humidity 87% 32% 56%
Precipitation 0 in — —

2019-01-12 Full details here.

Summary High Low Average
Temperature 32.7 °F 23.7 °F 28.1 °F
Dew Point 27 °F 14.9 °F 22.9 °F
Humidity 94% 50% 81%
Precipitation 0 in — —

 

Mr. Monte, Winter

Dear Little House

Hi all you cat lovers out there, Mr. Monte here. Old Fuzz Face let me at the keyboard tonight without a fight, a fuss, or any deep, painful scratches. It seems he and I have declared a truce for Advent. I guess it’s because of that “naughty or nice” thing imposed by St. Nicholas. More likely, it’s because that pointy-headed twerp, Clyde the Elf, is a lowdown snitch and blabbermouth. (See SFH Journal: 2018-12-04 through 07.)

Speaking of Clyde, I keep hearing sighs, moans, whines, and complaining noises because Blondie can’t find him. Fuzz Face is up here with me laughing quietly to himself. Poor guy, his turn is next and Blondie is better at this silly game than he is.

So, the two of them, after four years of cowardice, finally got the nerve and gumption to bring a Christmas tree into Serendipity Farmhouse. Since I entered their lives, bringing untold sunshine and happiness, they have assumed that I, the most intelligent and well-behaved of Maine Coon cats, could not be trusted. Just because I love to play with things that are round, things that hang down, things that sparkle, and things that shine, they thought that I would cause some type of damage.

They also have this fear that I will eat things I shouldn’t. They think that I would chew on branches, or climb into the tree, or some other, perhaps unspeakable, cat-like thing to a real tree. Oh, they have so little faith. But, I digress.

Today, Fuzz Face assembled (with Blondie’s guidance) the most hideous replica of fir tree any right-minded person or cat could imagine. They reasoned (if humans are truly capable of conscious thought) that I would be less likely to approach or harm an artificial tree.

1208181539b (2)Then they stared at the tree. They fluffed up the stupid looking bottle brush branches. Then they stared again. They tried to say nice things about that mutant, green creation and bring themselves to imagine that it wasn’t really that ghastly. Sometimes, I wish I could protect them from their follies.

Pictures were taken. Blondie, dressed in a very strange looking hat, made great sport of hanging a single decoration high up, where it was thought that I would not be able to get to it. I love Blondie a lot. She looked happy. That helped my heart to soften a bit. Perhaps that tree has some merits. Even Fuzz Face appeared to be taken by the thought of having a tree in the house once again.

Now it was time to allow me to make my required examination of the strangely lit faux fir.1208181546a (2) Intriguing as the thing was to my catly curiosity, it seemed oddly out of place and its odor was so synthetic and unnatural. Blondie was smart enough to see my displeasure and she brought out her old remedy – feline pheromone spray. —- That did it! True it was artificial and unnatural, but my sides began to buzz with purring and, before I knew what was happening, I was rolling on the floor and rubbing against the tree – we were friends. Yeah, I might have made a couple of attacks on one of the branches and taken a few bites at it but, in the end, the tree and I are on good terms now.

Serendipity Farmhouse History: It has been our family tradition to set up the Christmas tree every year on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This year, even though it is faux, the tree is again inside in it’s rightful place.

Directly behind the tree is small sewing sampler that says a lot about our family and Serendipity:

1208181538 (2)DEAR HOUSE

You’re really very small

Just big enough for

LOVE

That’s All

 

Autumn, RV Living, SFH Journal, Winter

SFH Journal: 2018-11-08 through 14

Highlight 1: The change of seasons could be no more evident than what we have seen this last week. Autumn colors reached peak; passed peak; and now the leaves are gone. Daily highs have dropped to the mid-forties. The National Weather Service now promises us snow and a wintry mix tonight. The splendor of Autumn was far too short.

Highlight 2: Our featured picture, however, summons hope for the coming season. Our Christmas cactus has been with us since Idaho. Its brave parent plant was a gift to my Mother many years ago in Ohio. It made the trip to Virginia when she passed away. And then, in true pioneering spirit, it crossed plains and deserts to live with us in Idaho. The blossoms of today bring memories of my Mom and remind us that Christmas will soon be here.

Highlight 3: Yesterday, in what will surely become a yearly ritual, old Fuzz Face crawled up the ladder of our RV El Camino Del Monte. With wobbly legs and great fear of impending disaster, he unfurled the new RV cover. One tiny, cleverly hidden tag, was the only way to identify the front end of this monstrous and unwieldy mass of fabric. While foolhardily traversing the roof of the RV in a totally confused and befuddled state, the wind began to build and threatened to turn the RV cover into a parasail and to drag Fuzz Face to some far-flung corner of the county. As one might expect, Mr. Monte watched from the kitchen window with “glee” and “hopeful expectations” written on his face. Unfortunately, for Mr. Monte, old Fuzz Face was uncharacteristically successful and completed the job unharmed.

1114181519a_HDR (2)
El Camino Del Monte bundled up for Winter

Weather:  And finally it arrives. These are the words of the National Weather Service for tonight (14-15 November): “Snow, freezing rain, and sleet, mainly after 4am. Low around 28. Northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.” (For details of Sperryville, VA weather in November 2018 – click here.)

2018-11-08: High/Low -55º/39º

2018-11-09: High/Low – 45º/41º

2018-11-10: High/Low – 45º/28º

2018-11-11: High/Low – 46º/25º

2018-11-12: High/Low – 46º/28º

2018-11-13: High/Low – 45º/37º

2018-11-14: High/Low – 41º/32º

Plantings: Reporting suspended until the first planting of 2019.

Harvest: Reporting suspended until the first harvest of 2019.