Every Blooming THing: Mid-April 2023

As we shiver around here today.  Last week, we had four days with sun and temps in the 80s and higher.  This morning, woke up to about an inch of snow on the ground, snow flurries in the morning and temps in the upper 30s.  Like they say, if you don't like the weather around Chicago right now, wait a little bit.

Grass is green and I was smiling Saturday when the lawn tractor started right away.  Trees are budding out.

The Bradford pear trees are blooming big time white.  I have three of them.  The crabapples are budding out.

Plenty of twigs and limbs still to be moved from the ice storm a short time ago (we lost electricity for 17 hours).

Right now the daffodils and hyacinths are blooming and I have a lot of them.

--RoadFlower

Trying to Reason With an Ice Storm-- Part 6: How to Keep Busy When There's Nothing to Do at Home

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

I went to Wal Mart and overheard several people talking about not having electricity and that was why they were out "shopping," also to stay warm.  Then I went to Meijer and I heard someone call to me, turned, and it was one of the couples from Midwest Breakfast Company.  Great minds must think alike.  Right?

Returning home, I walked around back to check for damage and sadly saw that one of my clump white birch trees was broken about two-thirds of the way up.  Too bad.  That is a pretty tree.  Plus, there were a lot of limbs down on both pine islands.

Like I said, this is by far the worst ice storm we've had in the thirty years living in this house.

Still no power when I got back to the house, so, what else could I do but take a nap.  I was awakened at 11:30 am when the power came back on. This means lots of resetting items that usually Liz did (and knew how to do).  But now I have to figure it out myself and remember, I'm pretty technologically challenged.  Electricity had been out 17 hours.

Then, there is that computer thing.

Actually, I somehow got it going again.  No idea how, though.

With roads in good shape, I drove over to Bulldog Ale House south of McHenry for their $2 draft beer special.  They have 32 draft beers, including domestics, imports and craft beers.  I like imports and craft beers, but not for $6 to $8, but am like a kid in a candy store at $2.  I tried quite a few different ones (No IPAs though, Yuck!!).

Came home and watched the Thursday TV shows (a favorite night).  Sadly, Wednesday night is also a favorite, but we all know what happened to that last night.

--RoadIce

Trying to Reason With an Ice Storm-- Part 4: The Midwest Breakfast Company

I was happy to find all roads clear of ice both on the way to breakfast and afterwards.

The Midwest Breakfast Company has been mopen about ten years, but Liz and I had never been to it.  It has a great reputation for food and is usually quite crowded.  The only time we did think to go to it, there was too long of a wait to get seats.  

Plus, I understand they are also on the expensive side, but these days all places are expensive.  A breakfast anywhere is costing between $15 and $20 after paying for coffee and the tip.

The place wasn't crowded, but it did have a group of retired men there for a coffee club.  One of them turned out to be the owner.  I told him I was there because I didn't have electricity.  He said he didn't either and that he lived in Orchard Bluff Estates subdivision as I do also.

People continued to come in while I was eating and having several more cups of coffee.  What else did I have to do?  Most of the people coming in were in my boat with no elecricity.

The breakfast was every bit as good as I had heard it would be and really not more pricey than you'd pay anywhere these days.  Price:  $10.50 for Denver omelet, coffee $2.75, tax $1.07 and tip $3.  Just a bit ver $17.  Like I said before, breakfast is expensive these days.

I was kind of hoping to have electricity at home by then.

--RoadIce