Ice Storm

Things go bump in the night.

And this was the thing.

Last night’s ice storm brought a lot of unpleasantness; broken branches and downed power lines to name a few.

But it also brought many beautiful things.

So Scooter and I walked around the yard to take it all in.

Since our microwave link to the internet was down (Gosh, I wonder why?)…

…Scooter suggested we take our long walk to check out the neighborhood.

So we did.

Here is the road that the deer hunters use to get back into the Minnesota Mosquito Refuge, but not today.

And here is Five Drunk Creek where the deer hide as they watch the hunters drive by.  We have an understanding.  They leave my apples alone until after the freeze and I don’t tell the hunters where they hide.

A neighbor’s barn.

And a marsh across the way.

This is the silo our internet bounces off.  It’s a mile away across The Refuge. That little antenna on the top is the relay – and it comes from a town five miles away.

And here is the back side of The Refuge, all dressed nicely in ice.

Author: Almost Iowa

www.almostiowa.com

59 thoughts on “Ice Storm”

  4. I hope the tree won’t miss that branch too much. Ice storms are crazy. I haven’t seen one since my teens. That last photo really grabbed me. Nice to see you here again, Greg.

    I can empathize with the internet service. We are getting by for now, but would sure love an upgrade. Line-of-sight is a big problem where we are.

  5. Wow, absolutely stunning photos! You and the deer have a good deal! Ice storms can be awful but they leave our world so amazingly beautiful. You have a beautiful countryside there.

  6. Welcome back! Your photos are so beautiful, they almost make me forget how much I hate ice storms. Although looking at gorgeous photos of someone else’s ice storm is very nice indeed.

  8. Nice pictures, Greg. Ice storms can be gorgeous if you don’t need to drive. The Refuge looks beautiful in all that glittering sunlight. I hope you’re doing well. 🙂

    1. One must be careful not to complain too early. Wait until the misery builds up before letting loose. I make it a point not to gripe before February. 🙂

  11. You’re back, and that’s a good thing. 🙂 Ice is beautiful to look at for sure, but hard to live with. Your bouncing wifi is very interesting. It makes sense, but I guess I’d never read about it although we have a lot of people in the northern part of our state with very unreliable wifi. Now, I’ll be looking forward to another post because we haven’t heard how Stan is doing. 🙂 Stay well, and never doubt your sense of humor was missed.

    1. Our wifi works quite well – but it took four years to get it.

      Before we bought the house, I asked around about internet access and everyone raved about the microwave wifi, so we went ahead with the deal. After the purchase, I scheduled installation – but had to wait a few months because they were booked.

      A few months later, a boom truck bounced down our road and I could see him shaking his head all the way up the hill. Microwave (radar) requires line of sight and we lived in a hole.

      No go.

      Four years later on my walk with Scooter, I noticed that little antenna had appeared on the silo across the Mosquito Refuge. I rushed home and pulled out a telescope and after walking around my yard with it for a good hour, I found a spot with a clean line through the trees.

      I called the internet guys and showed them the spot. They hemmed and hawed and scratched their heads. “It can’t be anymore than 300 feet from the house,” they said.

      We measured.

      300 feet to the inch.

      Voila!!

        1. We landed in Sydney (of course) and spent a few days walking around then flew to Cairns and drove to Palm Cove. From there we flew to Alice Springs then took the train to Adelaide and drove along the coast to Melbourne. It was quite the trip.

  14. so good to see you again! We have branches come down during our hurricanes, but coming down in an ice storm–no thanks! You live in a really pretty area. Thanks for letting me tag along with you and Scooter.

  16. You and Scooter spent a productive morning. There is always beauty when we have the heart to feel it.

  17. Ice storms are beautiful, but so destructive. I may have experienced more ice storms here in Texas than I did in Iowa; they sure can wreak havoc with a palm tree. I really enjoyed seeing your photos, but your neighbor’s barn and the marsh are especially appealing. Your internet silo’s fun, too. I have a friend in Ecuador who once rigged up a metal colander to whomp up her connection.

  19. It’s good to see you again! Ice storms are beautiful and so very destructive. That’s quite the Internet connection you have, I’m impressed. Also impressed with your agreement with the deer. Thanks for taking us along on your walk.

    1. The microwave internet is a big deal in rural areas. My brother-in-law has an antenna mounted on his grain bin (90 feet up) that services over 20 neighbors.

    1. Actually, it was a pretty comfortable walk. Insulated jacket, stocking cap and gloves. In a month, I’ll be going full Carhart with flannel lined jeans and boots. 🙂

  23. Missed your posts!! Ice storms were always so destructive, don’t miss them. Pretty photo ops though.

    1. I especially enjoyed the last photo. A day earlier, it would have been full of deer hunters. Usually, I don’t mind the hunters, most of them are a pretty good sort, but the road hunters, the guys who cruise in their pickups and shoot at anything that moves, them I have no regard for.

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