The sky has turned the color of black and with it an almighty crack as lighting flew across the sky startling the birds and making them fly off to find shelter as they know full well with lightning comes thunder as time will tell rain lots of rain falling out of the sky and these children of Nature the reasons know why as off they flew at a furious pace trying desperately hard the rain to outpace the thunderstorm struck and just like before it flashed and it growled and the rain did pour down and flooded the trees and the land washing everything away like it were all sand moving the land to a different place a bit at a time as it’s not a race the storm flashed and it growled and the wind howled and then just as quickly the storm was gone leaving us to survey the damage gone wrong and the washed away dirt stacked neatly in rows and branches and leaves all over which shows the strength and the fury that Nature contains when she leashes her forces only hope remains that once more she is saying you humans beware this planet is yours and you must have more care or I will rip your world apart and this little storm is only the start you humans are such an arrogant race thinking the world is your own special place and yet you have no control of events of things when Nature chooses to dissent you are mere pawns in this magical world if Natures strength is fully unfurled.
Written 15/29/2021
Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…
The 5000 gallon pond off the deck showing the frostbitten vegetation. This pond also lost about a foot of water.
Well, we survived the Great Freeze of 2021, barely. I have to admit that I was one of the lucky ones after reading and hearing horror stories from my neighbors of what they went through and the after affects. For me, I never did lose electricity or heat although my heating system had to work very hard to keep up. Even then, it was not working at full capacity but it did blow out enough hot air to keep us from freezing. The warmest place was in bed under the covers with extra blankets thrown on and that is where me and the dogs went early in the evenings. The dogs are both like little, live hot water bottles and the three of us cuddled together for most of the night.
Our biggest problem was lack of running water for both drinking and flushing the toilet. I resorted to taking advantage of the great outdoors as much as possible and collecting water out of the ponds when having to flush became an absolute necessity. In my earlier blogs, I relate as to the good nature of my neighbors who not only kept checking on me but also provide food and bottled water. When it did start to thaw, I collected water in buckets for the same use. Eventually, after more than a week, the water was turned back on and we returned to some form of normality. I was very fortunate that at least in the house, the freeze did not break any pipes which is kind of surprising as I know the cold water pipe froze to the kitchen sink that is on an outside wall. For that, I am very grateful as it would be a very difficult repair.
However, outside in the ponds was a whole different story. Even though I had covered all of the exposed PVC pipe most of which is also insulated, the frost was so sever that it broke the pipe in several places especially where it was attached to faucets. There were two chlorine filters installed in-line and both of those froze. I spent most of the last two days working on repairs and still have more to do. I have an older above ground pump that is attached to one of the Aquadyne filters. This pump is made of cast iron and is at least 35 years old having previously served as a water pump when I lived out in Hazy Hills which was prior to 1985. I don’t think it has any plastic components in it but the frost has split the metal casing. I might be able to get it welded or brazed enough to hold water the water pressure. Here’s hoping as I really don’t want to spend $350:00 on a new pump seeing as how I am selling the property.
The 6000 gallon pond and the mess left in it.
As for the vegetation, there is very little left standing in the yard and it will be a project to cut everything down and haul it off. Maybe, I will get my Landscaper to do that part. It is difficult to know just how much Mother Nature can recover and what is totally dead and what is just damaged and will regrow. In the ponds themselves, everything has been knocked down and is a frozen mess. Pond plants turn to mush if left in the water when they die and also create an awful stink as they rot. Not good for either the fish or the humans. The only way to clean that up is to get in the pond and cut it all back and with the water still very cold, an unenviable task indeed. To make matters worse, I already know that my waders have sprung a leak from the last time I used them and I sure don’t want to buy a new set as I previously mentioned that I am selling the house. Guess I will just have to bite the bullet and put up with getting wet and cold feet.
The ice also played havoc with many branches on several different Live Oak trees. Some I have cleaned up but a few are still on the ground and again, I will get my Landscape contractor to take care of. There are several that have broke and are still attached requiring tree climbing experts to cut them down. One large one is over one of the ponds. All in all, at least a couple of thousand dollars worth of damage, probably more.
From my perspective, all of this could not come at a worse time knowing that I am selling the house. I could just leave it for the new owners but that wouldn’t be the proper thing to do and would certainly not show the house to its best advantage. On the bright side, I drove out to Henly to check on the Eagle, my RV and changed out both propane tanks and hooked up the water. Nothing appears to be leaking and everything is working as far as I can tell so I can’t ask for more than that. Well maybe I can hope that we will be making the move pretty soon as I am really looking forward to it.
Such is life in Texas following the big storm February, 2021
For related stories of my neighbors, follow the previous links in the column to the right. Don’t forget to check out the other blog with more fish stories at https://www.pondblog2011.com
I am sitting here in front of my kitchen window looking at the amazing winter wonderland that Mother Nature has created. Not that I haven’t seen it before as 10 years in New York State does get you acclimatized to snow storms. I just haven’t seen it in the 44 years that I have lived in the Austin area. Sure we have had snow and some frosts but nothing like what we are going through now. Continuous below freezing temperatures for several days at a time has not happened that I can remember, in those years.
I had to check that the pumps were running in the ponds especially the aerators which prevents the ice from covering the entire surface area, important in maintaining oxygen in the water. I went outside followed by the dogs. Mikey took to the snow without any trouble and ran and jumped in an excited way. Sandy, not so much as she stayed on the deck under the awning. As soon as Mikey and I were through with our business, we went back indoors along with Sandy who then immediately went into her little song and dance routine that generally precedes our daily walk. She was not satisfied with the garden and wanted to walk the streets.
Without further ado, I got them all harnessed up and off we went. My neighbor, Chris, was busy shovelling the snow from his driveway so we stopped and chatted for a bit before heading off down the road, walking in the tire tracks of the few vehicles that had made it out with Sandy out front, as usual, leading the way. There were a couple of other neighbors also walking their dogs ahead of us so we made sure not to catch up. Not because of Covid or bad neighborliness on my part but because I just did not want Sandy performing her usual sorry behaviour towards any other dog that we happen to run into regardless of their size, breed or sex. There is one exception and that is the little Chit Zhu that my hispanic lady friends that I encounter on our walks, have and for some reason, Sandy has sort of made friends with her.
I decided to go back as the wind chill was turning pretty cold and I did not feel very comfortable but the dogs showed no sign of feeling the cold. However, they did not object or complan when we turned around after about a half mile of walking and made our way back to the semi warmth of the house. I say semi warm as the house heater is really struggling to keep the place warm and the thermostat shows it to be 69° F. Bearable but not really comfortable. Still, with an extra sweater or two, we can live it out until the weather decides to return to Texas normal. I did add an extra cover to the bed and managed to sleep like a baby last night. Well, that is except for the usual old man’s problem of a couple of bathroom breaks, one of the banes of growing old, on top of radiation prostate treatment 12 years ago.
I do have an auxiliary heater that would be ideal to help warm the house. The problem is that it is in the RV, not heating it but just there. I used it when I was installing the desk and left it in the RV on purpose figuring that I would not need it in the time I have left in the house. Boy, was I wrong as I could really use it about now. Again though, due to this storm, the roads are not very driveable and not worth taking the chance.
Oh yes, I tried to light a fire in the fireplace which hasn’t been used for several years and much to my dismay, the house rapidly filled up with smoke setting off alarms all over the place. I quickly doused the fire and turned on overhead fans, opened a couple of outside doors and let things air out until the smoke had cleared. I guess, there must be a blockage in the chimney, maybe a squirrel’s nest or something similar. It can wait until the weather warms up. Now the house smells of smoke or maybe it’s my sweater, darn it.
