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| Muddy Puppy Feet Copyright (c) Marlene Hobart - All Rights Reserved |
Wisconsin's First Spring Storms Bring Lots of Destruction
Winter has been a bit late in leaving Wisconsin this year. Usually the grass is starting to green up and the lilac buds are getting fat. Because of the heavy snow pack and the low temps, the snow in most of the state still had a huge grip on the land. Our snow mountain was still five to six feet tall and the width of a continent. Water was draining from under it - like a glacier in the arctic - but the flow was still manageable. This weekend though was a game-changer. Friday the temps were in the high 60's mid-state, Saturday in the mid-70's.
Storms arrived here at about 10pm and continued until morning, with heavy rain, hail in some parts, and lots of thunder and dangerous lightening. One of our cats hid in the basement from mid-day Saturday until the storms passed on Sunday morning. From all the water, three trees uprooted and came down on our southern property line, leaving us with less wind protection but a sizeable amount of firewood - with some left over for the bonfire.
The city of Merrill and Mapleton were the hardest hit. Kaukauna and several others also suffered damage. No one was killed but several were injured. Many more were emotionally and financially hurt. Our friends in the Merrill area were safe and had escaped most of the damage, but they were not unaffected. Many of their friends and neighbors' homes, and businesses where they worked were damaged or destroyed. The pictures and videos are intense, and our heart goes out to all in the devastated areas. There will be much to clean and to re-build. Here though at Dragn' Rock, the storms parted and went around us. Our weather was rough but not dangerous. I could have taken a cue from the cat that had hid the day before...she was up in the windows watching the weather instead of crouched in the basement under a table.
Constant Clean-Up
Spring. We wait for it impatiently during the hardest and coldest days of winter, always forgetting that Spring is a season of great change, transitioning between a harsh, cold season to the hot days of summer. Spring produces the greatest fluctuations in temperature, plant growth, and of course - creation of mud - at least in clay country at Dragn' Rock Farm. In parts of the driveway and courtyard, the muddy goo bubbles out of the ground like a miniature volcano. Cars disappear into their tracks, to show up sometime later in the year, desperately needing a good wash. The tractor finds a new pathway to China and my throw rugs have all been dyed to a ruddy and crusty looking brown. So has the dog. Clean-up is a constant matter for my mop and broom, dusting rag and the vacuum. We put out a plethora of throw rugs near all the doors to catch a lot of the dirt and mud, so cleaning the rugs is a daily project. They get lots of shake-outs and rotate on and off the clothesline. Personally though, I think that my broom benefits more from beating the rugs on the fusion powered clothes dryer, than the rugs do, with it's bristles coming unglued and looking less like a dirty paintbrush. This then, brings me to the point of this story....household tips that you might not be aware of that will make your day so much more pleasant:
Throw Rug Maintenance Tips
When shaking out your throw rugs:
Storms arrived here at about 10pm and continued until morning, with heavy rain, hail in some parts, and lots of thunder and dangerous lightening. One of our cats hid in the basement from mid-day Saturday until the storms passed on Sunday morning. From all the water, three trees uprooted and came down on our southern property line, leaving us with less wind protection but a sizeable amount of firewood - with some left over for the bonfire.
Sunday's Destruction
All over the country on Saturday, huge storms had wreaked havoc. Sunday was another story. Wisconsin had escaped most of the bad weather, but come Sunday, we had no idea what that day had in store for us. The warnings were out that we could expect dangerous storms later in the day, with some of them producing hail or tornadoes. We just did not expect them to be so terrible. At Dragn' Rock, the winds started at about 6pm. We battened down all the doors and loose items, made sure all the pets were in the house and turned on the weather radio and TV. The storm line was almost a steady red to pink vertical line from the top of the state to near the bottom, and the weather radio was screaming flood and tornado warnings constantly. Tornadoes popped up north of us, south of us, and east of us, taking down houses, businesses and whole forests. At last count there were 7 confirmed tornadoes.
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| Impending Storms - Sunday April 10, 1011 - Wisconsin Copyright (c) Marlene Hobart All Rights Reserverd |
Constant Clean-Up
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| Pathways from snow covered to water and muck. Copyright (c) Marlene Hobart All Rights Reserved |
Throw Rug Maintenance Tips
When shaking out your throw rugs:
- Give the rug just a little wiggle - not a full shake - when you first begin. This will prevent the dirt from getting on your clothing, in your hair and in your eyes.
- Turn your head away from the rug. You don't have to see the dirt leaving the rug to know that it is.
- Close the eye nearest the rug after you've turned your head away. It will cause less irritation and you won't have to use so many eye drops afterwards.
- Give that rug some good snaps, don't just sally it. You need to snap it to loosen up those dirt particles that have clamps on them (I'm thinking clay).
- Turn the rug to the other end, grab it tightly and snap it bunches again, otherwise you've just moved the dirt down to the end of the rug.
- If you have long hair - wear a hoodie. Your brush or comb, won't help you out if you don't.
- Make sure you shake that rug with the wind behind you. You won't regret it.
- And lastly - shut the door BEFORE you begin to shake that rug or you'll have to start all over.
I know these hints and tips to be factual. Believe me. I have missed one or two on occasion and have lived to regret it. I hope that these household hints - brought to you in a seasonally timely manner, will be helpful and valuable to you. They are also valuable to pass on to your children when they go out on their own. They can be used most any time and any season, but I find that Spring is when they become the 'thing to remember'.
Any project becomes easier and safer with helpful hints and tips. Here at the Farm, we do a lot of research before we start in on any project. We also welcome hints and shortcuts that help us avoid pitfalls and accidents. If you have any great 'little known' household hints that you'd like to share - please do. Comments can be placed at the bottom of this article.
A Spring Wish for All
To all of you - We at Dragn' Rock Farm wish you all the best in the coming year, beautiful and plentiful gardens, warm and balmy summer days, and lots of smiles from children and friends to come your way. We also hope for less harsh weather and good friends and good community to help out and be there when it isn't.
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| Raindrops Captured Copyright (c) Marlene Hobart All Rights Reserved |
Peace
Marlene Hobart
Dragn' Rock Farm
Nice article. It's funny how we forget the basics of something as simple as shaking out a rug from year to year. I am going to make sure the angel who does my housecleaning reads your tips before the next time she shakes the rugs.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any useful tips for cleaning dirty brooms? Dust and dirt are one thing, but the worst of it for me is the pet hair. It seems like there should be a way to clean the hair from the bristles rather than getting a new broom a few times a year.
Thanks for an article with your usual style. I can just imagine the bubbling wet clay - I have a few spots like that in the dirt road in front of the cabin driveway.
Woo hoo! Spring has sprung!
Jo - Thanks for the comment. As for cleaning the broom of pet hair, I have found that first you pull off most of what you can, then take a bucket and fill it full of hot water - no soap - and slosh the broom up and down in it. Do that several times. After each time, more of the hair tends to end up at the base where you can pull out more. Then dry it out and beat it against a clean rug. You may want to wear a mask when doing that cause pet hair and dander can make for a bad experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the comment! Happy Spring!
Great article, sounds like my house. I have sheets on the couch and across the bed, as my dog, Kazoo, runs the house. I change the sheets every day. Good thing the thrift store has sheets. Rugs, every word you wrote is so true. I can relate to your story in every way.
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