Yesterday, after the Big Dig at Matissta's house, she said: "You have to come upstairs and look at something. I've never seen anything like it." She opened the curtains on the window at the landing at the top of her stairs and revealed these images.
I have icicles at my house, but not like these. They are breathtaking, and I love how we weren't thinking about the snow or the impending new storm when we looked at them.
Anyhoo -- I think they deserve a caption, don't you? Or at last a clever theory of why they have appeared on Matissta's house. We didn't see them on any other house in her court, and when I walked home, I didn't see them on any other house I passed.
So what's the story? Why Iceland at Matissta's?
What's that saying? "Cold hands, warm heart"?
Well, if Matissta's heart is one of the warmest I've ever had the honor to love and be loved by, would it follow that this is what ice would do at her house?
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 05:55 AM
This morning's headline at WashingtonPost.com (haven't seen a newspaper since last Friday. No mail either):
HERE WE GO AGAIN. AGAIN.
"A major snowstorm is expected in the area on Tuesday, while the area has not yet recovered from the storm that left record amounts of snow over the weekend."
Snow is scheduled to begin about 10 a.m. and end at 7 pm tomorrow. Blizzard conditions are expected with winds reaching 35 mph. We may lose power again, so stay tuned. I feel bad for Huckleberry, a scent hound, whose nose is mightily challenged by this amount of snow. You think WE have it bad? That dude has to search high and low for a good place to relieve himself.
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 06:02 AM
Perhaps, unbeknownst to all of us, Matissta listens to Lady Gaga in the privacy of her home:
http://www.myfashionlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/lady-gaga.jpg
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 06:52 AM
Well, my office is closed once again. I'm going to hear it from my co-workers in NY, who haven't gotten any snow. Trust me, I need the rest after shoveling so much.
Must admit, I was relieved when Flann said that my court was the worse one she had seen. I thought I was being a baby.
The icicles are even more pronounced today. They are beautiful. They remind me of my favorite book as a child, "The Ice Queen."
Posted by: Matissta | February 09, 2010 at 07:27 AM
Matissta: make your coffee NOW, before the power goes out. Actually, make enough for three days.
And you're no Ice Queen.
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 07:32 AM
Sorry for your hardships and heartache with the snow. It could be a lo-o-ong winter. I'll keep praying for your safety, sanity, power and happiness ... and for warmer weather to bring a continuous slow thaw.
The icicles pictured are beautiful, but I'm thinking I've read that poor roof insulation is sometimes a cause. From the delicate "spray" of these 'cicles, I'd say that it appears that warm air is blowing out of Matissta's house!
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 09, 2010 at 08:25 AM
Gotta agree with PEACE, esp. if no one else has them. But those are beautiful pics, and it's a very sweet note that they remind you of your fave book from childhood, Matissta!
I'm presuming the roads still haven't been cleared? Can't imagine what y'all are going thru, but know you're welcomed down here if you want a break from it all!
Posted by: Chrysosistah | February 09, 2010 at 09:04 AM
Thanks for your warm thoughts, PEACE and Chryso. Just talked to Matissta. She has no cable again, but shared with me that Huck has adapted to the weather and devised a strategy for eliminating his waste. He crouches on a mound of snow near the back fence of Matissta's yard in such a way that it rolls down out of sight. You gotta love that kind of ingenuity.
Matissta also said that the icicles are that way because of the snow melting on the roof. The Coop is in charge of the roof and the insulation. I guess if my pipes freeze, roofs aren't so great, either.
I walked to a Post Office box that had been shoveled out and mailed some bills. Unlike yesterday, the roads today are very, very icy. The temperature is about 15 degrees.
Chryso -- thanks for the offer. Any suggestions on how we get to the airport? No bus service, no above-ground subway service . . . helicopter, perhaps?
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 09:14 AM
I can't remember her name right off, but my first thought when I saw those icicles yesterday was that Snow Queen or whatever from The Chronicles of Narnia.
We need the warm breath of Aslan.
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 09:15 AM
It's the White Witch, Flann. My youngest will play her henchman Dwarf in an upcoming play.
Love the pics and stories from you folks up there in Iceland. Stay warm if you can. I'm off for the morning at least. Was home with same sick kid yesterday.
Posted by: babysis | February 09, 2010 at 09:32 AM
Yes, I thought of Narnia, too. Beautiful pics. How about a caption like: Ice Feathers
Posted by: Jerseysista | February 09, 2010 at 09:38 AM
Thanks, babysis. Sorry about the sick kid. Hope you haven't had to fret too much.
Given my mood late yesterday afternoon, guess I was the White Bitch.
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 09:38 AM
CAPTION: Polar Bear Claws
Posted by: Jerseysista | February 09, 2010 at 09:39 AM
CAPTION: Arctic Eyelashes
Posted by: Jerseysista | February 09, 2010 at 09:41 AM
My passcode for that last comment was: z3z7za.
Should I take that as a sign I should go back to bed ? Or, maybe I am boring typepad.
Posted by: Jerseysista | February 09, 2010 at 09:42 AM
Jersey: you gettin' all poetic about Mother Nature!
Thanks for getting into the spirit of the post.
CAPTION: FLANN'S HAIR DURING WINTER
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 09:42 AM
I thought you were STILL IN BED, Jersey, and had ingeniously devised a way to do everything from a supine position, much the way Huck has adapted to the snowfall.
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 09:44 AM
Sorry, got nuthin' for ya on how to get to the airport. Besides, as I understand it, many of the stranded passengers from the weekend's mess are still trying to get to their destinations, so I wouldn't think it would be easy to get a flight.
You know how people try to ship snow? Too bad we can't ship you some warm...
Posted by: Chrysosistah | February 09, 2010 at 10:49 AM
LOL! Typepad's passcode for that last was DRTBYE
:-)
Posted by: Chrysosistah | February 09, 2010 at 10:50 AM
CAPTION:
"Hope is a thing with feathers" ... which nests on a bed of icicle straw under Matissta's eves.
Posted by: PEACEsista | February 09, 2010 at 01:00 PM
Perhaps we'll do a post on Typepad passcodes.
All is quiet here -- the calm before the storm, except for Matissta who, after being called three times by Comcast to confirm her service appointment this morning, gets a fourth Comcast call confirming that the problem has been resolved . . . which is interesting as the technician never showed up to replace the non-working modem. Perhaps he saw the icicles as hazardous.
She still has no internet access.
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 01:01 PM
Love that caption, PEACE. Those icicles do look like wings; like a giant bird is flying off with Matissta's house.
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 01:03 PM
Hey, inquiring minds want to know if Matiss does listen to Gaga, but that link didn't provide the answer for me. What was I supposed to see? One of the Lady's getups, I assume.
Posted by: babysis | February 09, 2010 at 01:52 PM
I can open that link just fine, babysis. It's a photo of Lady Gaga holding her Grammy awards wearing a headpiece that looks like those icicles.
I don't think Matiss listens to Lady Gaga. I don't, either. She shows too much belly.
Posted by: Flannista | February 09, 2010 at 02:32 PM
Thanks Flann. It took some doin', but I found a way to navigate to that link. She ain't showing too much belly in that pic though, just eyeliner.
No one has asked what the icicles would land on if they began to melt and break off. Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: babysis | February 09, 2010 at 02:51 PM