Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Frigid, Snowy January Doldrums!

We're having another cold and snowy night here at Casa IVG, as we head into the snowiest and coldest week yet of the winter where our forecast high on Thursday is -1 F (and down to -15 F tomorrow night), so it's no surprise I didn't venture out today to get any photos of the snowy carnage around us. Unlikely tomorrow either, but I sure would like to get some shots of those snowy hollies out in the Woodland Garden ... maybe I'll get brave after all ... but then, after another forecast 3-5" of snow tonight (on top of the 7" from Friday and 4" from Monday!) maybe I won't! I will say that if it happens, you'll see it here...!

On cold nights such as these, when blogging inspiration flags and thoughts often turn to food and idle entertainments, I thought I'd venture over to YouTube and see what other Wallace and Gromit videos I could post since I'm still literally buried in snow and work, and definitely bereft of gardening subjects. So tonight's treats
naturally deal with meal preparation, à la Wallace and Gromit ... our first Cracking Contraption is called The Autochef, yet another of Wallace's inventions that just doesn't work quite the way it was supposed to:

And, as if the results of that one weren't disastrous enough, in classic Wallace form, never daunted, he and Gromit take it one step further in our next short, The Turbo Diner.
These didn't quite assuage my hunger for warm, cozy comfort foods on a cold and snowy night, but they did make me smile and chuckle.... I hope they will do the same for you, wherever you are, and if you're also currently buried like my other garden blog cohorts (you know who you are Marnie, MMD and Shady!), at least these videos will advance you about another 3 minutes closer to Spring!

Stay warm everyone!!

20 comments:

Roses and Lilacs said...

IVG I know how you feel. This is a very snowy winter--no respite. My enthusiasm for pictures isn't very great either. When you've seen one snow storm, you've seen 'em all.
Marnie

boran2 said...

We're poised to receive several inches of snow, and temperatures at/just above the zero range. I actually did take several photos today of the snow and some interesting shadows, without stepping outside. Yes, don't laugh, I did it through the window.

Larry Kollar said...

Cute!

We're supposed to get single-digit lows here Friday & Saturday mornings… I think that's the coldest it's been since we move to FAR Manor. Hope you stay warm!

Annie in Austin said...

Minus 15 is brutal, IVG and Fernymoss - no wonder you are a little gloomy!

We're getting weather that's cold for us (and our vegetation, heating systems, water pipes, etc.) but it would be a heat wave for you guys.

Animation doesn't work as a warmup for me - but I feel a craving to put the DVD of Gosford Park in the player. Weird, huh?

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Marnie,
I'm sorry to hear you're waning on the enthusiasm factor too, but glad I'm not alone! Yep, we've seen a lot of the same generic looking snow storms so far this winter that they're getting old real fast, eh!?

Time to sit down with the catalogs and dream of a more colorful spring and the bulbs yet to emerge from their snowy tombs....

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hey B2,
I expect what came through here is en route out your way tonight, so get ready, my friend!

There's a huge drift on the porch roof outside my office window I'd like to shoot, but the window is dirty and there's a screen in the way, and I'm certainly not going to open it! We can live without that photo....

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hey FAR,
Single digits in Planet Georgia? Yowza! I can remember some frigid lows in the 30's from when I lived in FL, but never single digits! You guys stay warm! We're fine here under our layers and blankets and the furnace is working overtime even during its "down" cycle, so that's proof of how cold it is here!

Tonight we're down to -20F (currently -10F) with a glorious high of -4F on tap for tomorrow, then back down to -20F at night. Supposed to moderate on Friday and back in the teens. Woo hoo, time to break out the shorts and tanning lotion!!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Annie!
I'm sure you can remember some -15 nights from IL, but at least memories don't chill the bones! Eliot may have said that April is the cruelest month, but I think he missed the mark ... more likely January or February in Iowa!!

I hope your cold snap isn't too severe to damage your plants or plumbing. Good luck to you and Philo!

LOL about the animation ... to each her/his own, but W&G always make me smile. As for Gosford Park, as much as I adore Altman, that was a real disappointment for me ... I fell asleep and we turned it off half way through ... kind of like your reaction to Inland Empire. Taste is an odd beast, eh? Now I could put in Nashville any time and be transfixed....

Gail said...

Dear IVG,

Hi! That is too cold! Dangerously cold...I have the doldrums myself...it's cold here and we can get out but this is January and energy is just low...Every photo looks the same in the garden..a little green a lot of brown! I'm reading bad mysteries! Take care you guys and keep warm.

Gail

Annie in Austin said...

Hello again IVG,

I think the record cold while we were in IL was -27F. I didn't go outside but of course Philo went for a walk on purpose. We used to have at least a few days every year in the -10F to -15F range. I hated those days when it was necessary to drive babies or young children in such cold. No one had cellphones for emergencies.

In Gosford Park I just love Jeremy Northam as Ivor Novello and have been Bob Balaban's fan since he played "apple-cheeked Orr" in Catch 22.

Nashville was one of the first DVD's we bought. Whenever I dare to put one of my songs on YouTube the delusional girl who sings "I Never Get Enough" comes to mind, as Ned Beatty shakes his head and says she can't sing a lick.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

olivia said...

Love that Gromit ... :D

Hiya toots. Hope you're keeping warm there and feeling better!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Gail,
Talk about dangerously cold, we got it! It just makes us want to stay under the covers and avoid the outside world ... too bad that's not possible!

It was very sunny today, but we never got any higher than -5F for a high and it was -19F when I got up this morning. It's been a while since we've had that kind of cold. No green or brown to be seen here, it's all just glaring white....

I saw it got pretty cold down your way as well, so you stay warm too!

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi again Annie,
I can remember some -30F days in the past, but the last few years, we've only had a few days where it got -10F or so. Today's high was -5F. The high, mind you! LOL

Now, I think you're being too harsh on yourself by invoking Gwen Welles (sadly deceased) from Nashville. She was astoundingly bad. You aren't, that's the difference!

Lordy it's been decades since I saw Catch 22 and I didn't know who Bob B was at the time (I was, after all, a teenager then), but I always enjoy seeing him pop up in Christopher Guest's films...

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hey Olivia,
Have you seen these W&G before? I just wish we could watch the new one, A Matter of Loaf and Death, but it's blocked on this side of the pond. :-(

We're dressing in layers and staying pretty warm mostly until the heat cycles down at night, and then it's blanket time!

Hope you're feeling better too!

Sylvana said...

It has been between -21F and -25F here for lows for the past couple of days. It "warms-up" to about 0F by about 3pm then plunges back into the -20s.

I love Wallace and Grommit! I have been meaning to check out info on their new movie a few of my friends have been talking about. Thank you for those shorts!

CONEFLOWER said...

Hi IVG. I can sympathize with you and the cold temps. We've been as low as -10F (real temp) at night... not as bad as you but bad enough for me to not want to venture outside just now. It's a perfect day to stay home and take naps.

I watched the Obamas and the Bidens arrive in D.C. yesterday and I am so psyched!!

Stay inside and keep warm both of you.

Iowa Victory Gardener said...

Hi Coneflower!
We're finally moderating in the temperature dept, and it was in the mid 30s today (break out the shorts!), which was a good augur for Hanna's arrival! Though we were a bit impatient for her to arrive, last week would not have been a good time with our horridly cold weather.

I saw some of the Obama coverage yesterday (had MSNBC chattering at me as I worked around the house), and stopped to listen to his speech in Baltimore (inspiring as always) and then saw the train arrive in DC. Finally, we can breathe a bit easier come Tuesday after this long period of gloom ... and though the gloom's not just going to disappear, at least we now have someone we can believe!

We're so happy to be turning the page by Hanna's arrival as well as the Obamas' arrival in DC. I just adore that little Sasha!

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