A true Nor'easter

Alright Alice, you asked for a topic, so I will try and deliver.

Last night and today we had a true Nor'Easter. Before I moved into this part of the world, I thought the term was more of an exageration. Weather on the prairies never got that serious, unless we were in the path of a tornado. This particular Nor'Easter brought a nasty blast, hopefully the last vestige of winter, but this is Canada so you can never that all that certain.

This morning when we got up and looked outside there were about 9000 homes without power in the region, and there are still about 1500 who won't be hooked back up until midnight. This is the result of 100km/h winds, snow, sleet and rain falling at different places.

Sometimes talking about the weather seems ridiculous, but it can stimulate some conversation. I find writing about weather in my writing is sometimes a challenge because I am not sure how far to go with it. Depending on the story it can have almost nothing to do with it. How do you treat the weather in your writing?

Here is an example, Pam; the opening of a still unpublished novel, And Adam Was a Gardener:

Quote :

The wipers swished rhythmically back and forth as the rain pelted the
windshield. Maggie sat in the traffic impatiently, wishing the rain
would go away. Only one thing was certain about Houston winters - they
were never the same. This one had been hot and wet. Now it was turning
cold and wet. The traffic advisory had been warning drivers to stay away
from low-lying areas, so there were even more cars on Louetta Road than
usual. As the cars inched toward the light, Maggie's attention was
drawn to a neon sign on her right:

BRINY DEVLIN'S IRISH PUB

There is more in the WIP section, if anyone is interested.
http://www.publishedauthors.org/t1909-and-adam-was-a-gardener

Ann

Thanks Alice! I am partial to the name Maggie, and the winter and Houston sounds a little like the winters here - unpredictable!

All creatures, man included, are intrinsically atuned to weather...the changes in atmospheric pressure, the rain, the cloud cover, the wind. All creatures from worms, fishes and on up the chain to us, the god-awful creature, MAN, are mystified and mentally controlled by Mother Nature, mentally and physically. Add the moon and there you are....just a blob of protoplasm trying to have a thought and if you are female, you are on a period!

I imagine that men grow hair or something......

Love,
Betty

Ann

Pam, I am not Alice, even though sometimes I wish I were.

Ann

Pam,

You are marvelous. Thank you for talking and getting wonderful Ann and Betty here.

Ann,

Be very glad you are you and never for one second wish you were me.

Weather is a prime subject especially at change of seasons time.
Spring is supposed to bring...
Fall is supposed to bring...
Winter is supposed to...
And when it doesn't happen, there is cause for concern or excuses.

Weather is also a good subject when there is nothing else worthy of discussion.

Weather was once measured on norms. Above or below normal, etc. With the constant change of weather, the norms seems to have disappeared.

Tomorrow it will be rainy or sunny, depending on the weather.

You've got to laugh, haven't you? A couple of years ago, on one of our local walks, my husband remarked that we were getting through the winter. It was a mild day reminiscent of spring ... but it was November! I laughed and reminded him that winter did not officially begin until Decemeber 21st! Of course, I won't let him forget it, especially on a cold, wet, miserable winter's day.

The man was obviously intoxicated with love for you.

Ann, so sorry - I actually knew that, because I checked before I wrote the message, and must've had a brain fart.
Betty when the wind was blowing right through me the other day (I love that expression), I certainly wished for more hair, or a bigger scarf, thicker coat.

Alice, you are so welcome. Thought we might be able to liven things up a little since it is the weekend and so often quiet and worthy of stirring things up a little. Or not.

Here today it is rainy or sunny depending on the weather, and at times, a little of each. That's a little for Abe, and all of you.

Shelagh, l kind of felt like that yesterday, that I was wishing a season to move along as quickly as possible. With spring here but at times still feeling like winter, we all look forward to summer. Seems a little like wishing life away or something, and it does go quickly enough already!

Dear Pam,
I am not good at cold weather. I am not prepared for it. I think that the bears have the right idea. If it is going to snow for a long time, get into a nice warm cave and sleep off your fat!

Here in Florida, a Nor'Easter is 29 degrees at night and 54 at noon with a little wind.

When I was a little kid, we wore scarfs like the old Polish and Russian women in movies.
Since then, scarfs have blossomed into .....ta...daaah! accessories.

Mexican people have a way with the bandana scarf.

I doubt there is a more homely wearing of a scarf than displayed by people just trying to keep their ears from freezing. Flair!...that is what the scarf needed and now no one I know ties one under their chin in a triangle that fits on top of the head.

But then, our coldest temperature is 23 in winter. If I lived up there where you do, I could easily be a coccoon wrapped in many layers of scarvings and emerge as a butterfly in spring. I would like that.

Love,
Betty

Ah Betty, if I had the option to hibernate for winter I'd probably do it in Florida, or Arizona or one of those warmer places. That way I wouldn't awake to the still cold landscape only to have to relieve myself (i.e. pee) and try to return to sleep.

I do feel a bit like a butterfly in spring, partly because I cast aside the browns and blacks of winter and aim for the brighter end of my closet. I love this time of year when things start to brighten up, and although we know there could be another rogue snowfall, hopefully that's the worst of it until hurricane season starts.

Hurricane season!

Oh NO!

Hurricane season is no joke, north or south.

Pam, I am glad that spring is coming soon to you. I have been to Canada one time. The glaciers were magnificent, the water true blue. Cold and trees and smells of pines, nice, nice people.

I went to a small church on a Sunday. It was a little white building with a small stoop as an entrance and a lovely little steeple with a small bell.

I wore a suede coat, knee length, with a mink color, high brown boots, and lovely soft gloves. You have brought all that vanity back to me to look at and remember how vain I was. Snort!

If I were there now, I would be a different person, for sure. I have been so humbled. Funny how important one feels at 20 or so and then one lives some life and finds how very pompous and cock sure one was looking time in the face.
Love,
Betty

dmondeo wrote:

The man was obviously intoxicated with love for you.

LOL! It was wishful thinking! We'd had a cold snap in early November before it turned mild and he thought we'd seen the worst of winter before winter arrived! He does have a sense of humour and laughs when I say we are getting through it. A bit like me saying I rule here, but it doesn't seem to have the same effect!

"The Ice Storm" by D. K. Christi in the anthology Romance of My Dreams is all about weather - about 250 pages of sailing in Arirang: the Bamboo Connection is all about weather -

I always felt cold and damp when reading books set in London.

I felt cold and damp when in England--usually except for the summer of 2006. it was hot then.

"Vanity is my favorite sin." - Al Pacino

I feel cold and damp here quite often, but not today! The sun is shining, it's about 5 degrees above freezing, and the folks with lawns are reporting that crocuses are popping up in the still brown grass! Yeah! No need to think about hurricanes today. I am intrigued by those of you mentioning your books, and will have to add them to my reading lists.

For now, though, back to work.