Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Snow In The Desert

This is probably the last snow day this winter. We had one in December which was out of the ordinary. A snow day in February is much more ordinary.


Luckily, it wasn't icy so it just brushed off my truck. I made a snow ball and gave it to one of the guys at work. It didn't snow in town, just the higher elevations got it. He thought it was a great snowball and put it in the freezer. I have no idea what he will do with it later. Maybe he's saving it for summer when it is 110 outside.

I didn't check my water tanks (it was too cold...40 degrees is cold to me!) but I hope they are full. The last rain was in February last year and then it didn't rain until July. My summer super water conservation plan should start soon. That means shorter showers and wiping more dishes instead of using lots of water.

I should have plenty of water to get me through the dry season. Last year my 500 gallon tank had to be emptied because I needed to replace the blocks underneath it. I bought a 400 gallon tank to hold the water from the 500 gallon tank. This year all of the tanks will be full. Even my jacuzzi is full. I am hoping I won't need to conserve water as strictly as last year but I did it once so I know I can do it again if I have to.

Tomorrow's forecast, no snow but below freezing tonight. I'm glad I don't have any sensitive outdoor plants (the cactus can take it) or animals (kitty is warm inside with me).

8 comments:

Over the Cubicle Wall said...

I like snow when it doesn't mess the roads up.

Good luck with getting the rest of your tanks full. I guess you can catch the snow melt too, right?

My dog loved the last snow. When I brought her in, she whined at the door forever.

Daizy said...

I suppose most of the snow would melt in to the gutter. If I had more water tanks I could shovel the snow in!

I don't think my cat would like snow. She's led a sheltered life.

Anonymous said...

i miss snow! right now the peach trees and the plum trees in north mississippi are fixing to go into full bloom...which of course is too early cause they will get bit by late frost for sure. good luck in your water collecting...and i hope you don't get laid off from work...but keep preparing for it!

Sharon S said...

Hi there-I think the snow is gone for a while where I am, keep warm my dear!

Anonymous said...

We don't normally get snow. If we do get it then it is usually in March. This year we have had two snow days already. One at the end of January and one last week.

We appreciate the little snow we get.

Cool Guy said...

No snow here in the Phoenix area, but it did get really cold last night. I've never seen snow in all my life, but hopefully I can take a drive up to Flagstaff on day and experience it.

Daizy said...

Anonymous, when will those trees learn? It seems to happen that way every year!

Sharon Rose, wouldn't you know the rest of the world warms up and the desert freezes. We are just a behind a little.

Debtfree2009, it certainly is the only topic in the news here when it happens. I'm glad it is rare.

Cool Guy, you missed your chance. You could have driven down to Oro Valley. They got snow too. That's closer than Flagstaff I think. But then if you are going to see snow you might as well go where there is a larger quantity.

C and H said...

An idea to help conserve water, use cast iron to cook your food in, that way you can just scrape out the large portions of food and burn the pots to sanitize them. Rub a little oil in afterward and its ready for the next time. (You can also use a little water after scraping out the big bits and scrub with a scrubbie to get the majority of food out before "burning it off".)

If you eat out of the pots, there are no plates or bowls to clean.

Also, my husband made some stainless steel chopsticks for us to use when we were living in the snowmobile trailer. We just wiped them off then heated them up to sanitize them. Good luck with everything.