Althouse: At the Winter Flower Café...

February 8, 2011

At the Winter Flower Café...

... it takes next to nothing to charm us silly.

60 comments:

MadisonMan said...: Soon enough that will be outside. We almost always have bulbs up on the south side of the house by the Solstice. Hard to believe when it's all snow there right now.; 2/8/11, 8:37 PM
MadisonMan said...: Ugh. Equinox. Not Solstice. Jeeze.; 2/8/11, 8:38 PM
Ron said...: Really? Ok...I'm commenting without pants.; 2/8/11, 8:40 PM
traditionalguy said...: The couple who plants together stays together. Now if someone will just water it.; 2/8/11, 8:47 PM
Shanna said...: Pretty!

We're in for our second round of major snow in a month tomorrow. After last year, my gardenia didn't even bloom....I'm afraid this year might kill it.; 2/8/11, 8:58 PM
Unknown said...: I see the writing on the wall. Or is it the ceiling?

PS Sure that isn't the couple who plants each other stays together, tg?; 2/8/11, 8:58 PM
MamaM said...: Now if someone will just water it.

Hydration happens
To those who toil
And those who don't
The same with drought

There is a healthy
place within me
May it grow; 2/8/11, 10:15 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Haha. word verification "fairy" that's kind of charming innit.

I keep the door open a crack even though it's freezing outside because I like the air coming in. But then I heard the wind hit like BLAM-O ! Tornado wind. It was knocking everything around. Chimes were rattling like they were being blown off. The wind was driving dead-on from the North. The snow was blowing horizontally, stinging everything in its path. The snowmen winced and bent protecting their faces or maybe I imagined that part, anyway it was COLD and DRAMATIC. I love that. Glad I'm not in it. Then it suddenly stopped. Kinda like a huge vacuum was suddenly filled with arctic air then everything sat there frozen. Not a person nor vehicle moving in sight. Dead silence.; 2/8/11, 10:27 PM
David said...: Obama: $52 billion for very fast choo-choos.

Does his birth certificate say his real name is Lionel?

How about we fix the schools first.

When was the last time he took a train?; 2/8/11, 10:33 PM
garage mahal said...: Obama: $52 billion for very fast choo-choos.

For scale, that's approx 5 months worth of adventurist hearts and mind winning, road and bridge building in the Middle East. If we are fighting them over there instead of here, - aren't we just building them a way to get over here when we do leave?; 2/8/11, 11:51 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: It takes next to nothing to charm us silly.

Well then, here goes nothin'!

(Or next to it,...); 2/9/11, 12:20 AM
Anonymous said...: Trouble ahead.

Trouble behind.

The trouble with you, is the trouble with me.

Trouble ahead.

Trouble behind.

And you know that notion, just crossed their mind.

And you know that notion, just crossed their mind.*

*J. Garcia and company; 2/9/11, 1:28 AM
Anonymous said...: Jesus Christ: Beta Male.

Allah: Alpha Male.

Choose wisely.

Choose.; 2/9/11, 1:36 AM
Revenant said...: For scale, that's approx 5 months worth of adventurist hearts and mind winning, road and bridge building in the Middle East.

Er... did you mean that as an argument for the train, or against it?

Because when I hear you say that we can either build a useless train system here in America, or some roads and bridges in a poor foreign country... isn't the latter pretty much the obvious choice?

Assuming "not spend any money at all" has been ruled out, of course.; 2/9/11, 2:56 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: We need the speed train to take the Sisterhood of Sputnik Traveling Pants around the country.

President Obama is a visionary.; 2/9/11, 6:13 AM
The Dude said...: Garage likes to throw out false dichotomies and act as though he knows it all, plus, he loves him some trains.

Has anyone calculated the actual average speed Obama's fast train will run? My guess is that it won't get him out of town soon enough.; 2/9/11, 6:52 AM
Clyde said...: So was the picture flipped horizontally or are the onionskin pages of French words face down?; 2/9/11, 6:59 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Everyone I've talked to tells me the train idea is catching steam.; 2/9/11, 7:21 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: I am looking at more snow in my backyard than I have ever seen. The drifts in the back are getting close to the middle rail of the fence.

That's probably not strange for you all up north, but that's pretty odd in Arkansas.; 2/9/11, 8:00 AM
The Concrete Dog said...: 21 janry 1952
millboro, sout dkota
jus north of th nebraska line

the midle of nowhre

it was a nice mornng so
at noon clarence longcor
wnt to town for suplies

the forcast sed a storm
wuld strike but
he dint expect it
to be there til evning

sudenly the air got vry still
he had a hunch 2 or 3 times
to turn back
and lookd fr a place to turn
around

thn the blizard struck
snowng heavily
no let up all afternon
car stuk in a drft
he culdnt see frther than
th ornamnt on the car hood

mor snow
4:30 he left th car
to try for the davis farm home
a quartr mile ahead
culd only see the ground befor him
barely made out the hi-line posts
missd the turn to th yrd twice

aftr 15 minuts and 3 tries
made it only as far as the granary
th house just 50 yrds furthr
but which way?

afraid he wuld freez so
no sleep -that enemy
evry 20 minuts would
stamp his feet 200 tims
nd beat his hands together
200 tims
th sno blew an blew

he prayd for his wife home alon
smokd cigarets
an talkd to th ducks

8 hrs then mornin
mad it to th house
they gave him warm cloths
a warm breakfst and coffe
which tastd good

his hands were swolln
for days
from beatng them togethr; 2/9/11, 8:02 AM
Shanna said...: I am looking at more snow in my backyard than I have ever seen.

Hey Freeman! It just started snowing here in LR and it's already covered in white everywhere.

I don't ever remember having so much snow, so many times, in Little Rock. It snowed a foot one time when I was a kid, and other than that it's usually an inch maybe twice a winter. I mean, it snowed an inch or two on Monday, even and we all went to work.; 2/9/11, 8:18 AM
Hagar said...: The evening news showed a national map of the proposed "high-speed" rail system. For $52 billion, they might be able to bring that much trackage up to the standards it is supposed to be maintained at now, but I doubt it.; 2/9/11, 8:23 AM
ricpic said...: Great story, Concrete...or perhaps Theo Boehm in a new guise?; 2/9/11, 8:25 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Shanna, you are not going to believe how much snow you'll have in a few hours. It's unreal.

Email from my children's music teacher signalling that class is cancelled today:

Subject: Holy Cow!
Message: See you next week... unbelievable!

I knew I should have bought a pair of snow skis after last year.; 2/9/11, 8:26 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: I liked Concrete's poem too.; 2/9/11, 8:28 AM
Shanna said...: I knew I should have bought a pair of snow skis after last year.

I know!! It seems stupid to buy snow stuff in Arkansas, but this year maybe we could have used it. That cross country skiing looks so fun!

We had about 5-6 inches back in January and they're predicting about the same today I think. It's still snowing like crazy.; 2/9/11, 8:43 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: They were predicting 5-8 inches for us. So far, we've got eighteen.; 2/9/11, 8:46 AM
Shanna said...: OMG, you have 18 inches!!!! Holy Crap, Freeman.

Do you think that means we'll get more than 5 or 6?; 2/9/11, 8:57 AM
Original Mike said...: "So far, we've got eighteen."

That's starting to be some real snow. Hope you guys have snow plows.; 2/9/11, 8:57 AM
Shanna said...: Hope you guys have snow plows.

Heh.

My brother was watching something about the superbowl and the ice in dallas and the out of state guys could not believe they were putting sand down instead of ice.; 2/9/11, 9:03 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Eighteen at 7:55, and it's still pouring snow. Local reports. Supposedly a stationary band of heavy snow settled over our city. Some of the cities directly to the north and south aren't getting as much.

So who knows what Little Rock will get. They keep updating our Severe Weather Alert every hour or so. Last one says we could get up to twenty-two inches. My yard looks like it's already gotten that.

Snow drifts in the back are now up to the middle rail of our six foot fence.; 2/9/11, 9:03 AM
Shanna said...: We don't usually get as much here in Lr as you guys get. We'll see, I guess.; 2/9/11, 9:05 AM
Original Mike said...: I saw a video clip on the national news years ago that's always stuck with me. I think it was Memphis that had gotten some ice and the clip was of two street workers standing in the back of a dump truck filled with salt. As the truck drove down the street they were spreading salt out the back with shovels.

It struck me as hilarious.; 2/9/11, 9:09 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Heh. We don't have all that fancy snow and ice equipment in these parts.; 2/9/11, 9:10 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Okay, I'm going to try to make some snow pants out of a garbage bag and duct tape so that I can go out and get pictures.; 2/9/11, 9:11 AM
Original Mike said...: "Okay, I'm going to try to make some snow pants out of a garbage bag and duct tape..."

Make sure to get a picture of yourself.; 2/9/11, 9:15 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: Ha!

I just finished making them. They turned out great. I used packing tape instead of duct tape though. The only duct tape I have on hand is Gorilla tape, and that would have been too hard to work with for a temporary pair of plastic pants.

My husband is laughing at my new pants. He doesn't understand awesome.; 2/9/11, 9:36 AM
Shanna said...: I just finished making them. They turned out great.

I totally thought you were kidding. You are going to have to post pictures now!; 2/9/11, 9:44 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/9/11, 9:51 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: How to: Trash bag drawstring goes at the top and becomes the drawstring for the pants. Slit the middle from the bottom up to an inch from the drawstring to make two legs. Slit the bottoms of the legs, so that your feet can come out. Tape the inseam of each leg closed. Put them on over another pair of pants and tighten the drawstring; the plastic pants should ride very, very low. Tape all the way around the top of the plastic pants to attach them to the regular pants. (You should be able to use the button and fly on the regular pants as usual, so you can remove the pants without having to remove the tape each time. If you're tall, a trash bag won't be long enough for pants, so you'll have to make two legs and tape them to a regular pair of pants.

In case anyone would like his own pair.

(Reposted to fix a hilarious typo.); 2/9/11, 9:55 AM
Shanna said...: It will have to snow a whole lot more than it has so far for me to make trash bag pants but thanks for the tip :); 2/9/11, 10:02 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: You will want the plastic pants if it gets like this. (That's me outside an hour ago. It's still snowing.); 2/9/11, 11:23 AM
Original Mike said...: Hey, that looks like Wisconsin, Freeman! Enjoy.; 2/9/11, 11:25 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: The backyard. That fence is just over six feet tall.; 2/9/11, 11:38 AM
Shanna said...: Wow Freeman. They've got you guys in the 12-24 forecast now.

We're definatley not getting that. Maybe 4 inches or more.; 2/9/11, 11:49 AM
Original Mike said...: Somebody's going to learn about snow rakes.; 2/9/11, 11:49 AM
MamaM said...: Freemans's Bag Pants: Inventive and awesome solution to an equally awesome amount of Arkansas snow accumulation.

Sometimes it's the simple things.

Our choc lab had a tumor removed from his lower leg last week. It turned out to be benign, but he found a way to work around the e-collar and started licking the wound, which opened it to infection. A trip to the vet to address this resulted in an extensive bandage up to the hock and antibiotics. We were also given an empty IV bag (thick flexible plastic) to tie over the foot to keep things dry when he went outdoors PLUS instructions on how to cut a hole in a bucket and pad it with Duct tape, drill holes on the side through which I was to attach strings tabs to his collar to put a firm end to the licking.

Thankfully, we haven't had to resort to the Bucket yet, but the first trip outdoors with the IV bag protection was a disaster as his back leg kept slipping and sliding out on the snow and ice. Hard to take a dump with a rear end that can't be trusted to stay in place. After trying to fix the problem with rubber bands and Vetwrap the solution turned out to be a white sport sock pulled over the IV Bag. Traction and coverage as close as the laundry basket.

The owner of a Big Dog (who can now walk, dump and heal) sends a Bucket (so far unused) of compliments to the Concrete Dog, who continues to provide enjoyment, enlightenment and insight right where he stands.; 2/9/11, 12:39 PM
Original Mike said...: I'm worried for Freeman. I hope she took an avalance beacon.; 2/9/11, 3:06 PM
Original Mike said...: AvalancHe.; 2/9/11, 3:07 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Heh.

21 inches at 9:30 AM. I don't know what it totals now.

Drudge's "10+ inches" headline doesn't do it justice.; 2/9/11, 3:36 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I think I'd like to live somewhere where it snows like this all winter. I love it.

As it is, this snow has closed the interstate. Yow.; 2/9/11, 3:37 PM
Original Mike said...: "I think I'd like to live somewhere where it snows like this all winter. I love it."

The Red Team in Wisconsin is always looking for new recruits.; 2/9/11, 4:08 PM
Shanna said...: Hey Freeman, I actually saw people with ski's on my street this afternoon! They were just carrying them, though, so I don't what they ended up doing with them.

We ended up with 6 inches.; 2/9/11, 6:29 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: That's a lot of snow for Little Rock.; 2/9/11, 6:32 PM
Shanna said...: I know! And twice in about a month is apparently a record or something (we had a similar snowfall in January).

But nowhere near 2 feet. That is just crazy.; 2/9/11, 8:21 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: New state record.; 2/9/11, 8:59 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: New all time state snow fall record.; 2/9/11, 9:10 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Northwest Arkansas is sort of a melting pot area with transplants from all over the country, so the local news just had a segment interviewing people who moved here from snowier climes. A guy from Wisconsin complained that back in Wisconsin he had a snow blower, but now he was having to spend hours and hours shoveling because he never thought he'd need it here.; 2/9/11, 9:27 PM
MadisonMan said...: My brother in Fayetteville says U of Ark been closed 5 days so far for snow this winter. 5 days off WITH PAY.

When the UW closed last week, we got to take a vacation day.; 2/9/11, 9:47 PM
Original Mike said...: Everybody in Wisconsin has a snowblower (well, pretty much everybody). Do you have a snow shovel?; 2/10/11, 8:39 AM