Surprise! The Early Morning Version

Upstate NY weather is nothing if not changeable. There is a saying around here: "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute." And it is only partially a joke.

We've had unseasonably warm weather here the last few days. It actually was in the 60's yesterday and Sunday. (Normally, it would be 40's to low 50's at best.) That's kinda nice, except that the ragweed, which normally is killed off by about mid-October, is still hanging around and kicking my butt.

Still, wait a minute...

Here was the sight I saw yesterday morning when I woke up (way too early, because I haven't adjusted to the time change yet). Beautiful, isn't it?

And here was what I saw this morning

SURPRISE!
(And oops...time to start parking the car in the barn again.) And really, still beautiful, just in a different way.

The snow isn't expected to stick, and the rest of the week is supposed to be in the 20's and low 30's at night and the 40's during the day, which is much more what you'd expect around here in mid-November. Of course, the drastic change has the fibromyalgia kicking up, but on the other hand, hopefully the ragweed will finally DIE.

Bwahahahahaha.

On a more positive note, the final polished manuscript went off to my agent Elaine Spencer and four special first readers (waves at Skye, Lisa, Alex, and Judy). Whew. More about that tomorrow. Wait until you hear what I did...

So, what kind of morning did you wake up to?

More Trick than Treat

Here in Upstate New York, Mother Nature seems to be taking the "trick" in "trick or treat" a little too literally...

I was hoping for BOO! Not boo hoo... And it is just getting started.

Hope you're all warm and safe.

Snowtacular 2010

I was going to post about the rest of my trip to CA today, with pics of the fam and the lovely San Diego beach I was on. Instead, I'm going to give you a peak at the upstate NY Snowtacular, with a beach scene for ironic contrast!

Let me just say that it was wonderful to visit with my parents, my sister Becky and her husband Nick and my nephew Stamo (12) and Athena (14). Not to mention my grandmother, who will be turning 99 in April! And I loved the day on the ocean, where we collected shells and pretty rocks (which my sister will be shipping to me in a set-price Post Office box...sorry about the box of rocks, dudes!) and I soaked up the sun and warmth to get me through the rest of the NYS winter.

Turns out I was going to need it.

We got 6" of snow a couple of days ago, and another 2 FEET or so yesterday. They declared a "no drive" state of emergency in both Delaware Cty where I live and Otsego Cty where I work. So I closed the store and stayed home to clear off the roof and hunker down until it is over. Mostly light snow now, thankfully, and the sun is coming out in patches. But lots of wet, heavy snow threatening to take down power lines, and wind gusts of over 30 MPH making even the plowed roads rough.

Is it spring yet?