BJ, I am far enough south that I don't have the ice. It sure is cold--at least for this part of the country. I hope you thaw out soon! We are not used to this stuff!
Here it sleeted then snowed for about 28 hours. Yesterday the high was about 20, with a strong north wind. DH and I tried to shovel out the car. Haven't tried to get out on the highway yet. Every time the snowplow comes by, our driveway gets blocked again. For once, I don't believe I strained/sprained my back or shoulders shoveling. I can move around today, with no more than usual aches and pains. Yippee!
The chickens didn't come out of their house all day yesterday, even tho I spread some straw around their yard, after shoveling out a cleared space. This morning I shooed them all out of their house. Some didn't stay out long, but at least they got out and realized the snow wouldn't eat them.
I am so thankful we didn't lose our power. We have a wood furnace in the basement, but haven't used it in a couple of years. It's not efficient, as heat distribution depends on an electric fan. Better than nothing, tho. We could stay in the spare bedroom in the basement, if we needed to. It's our tornado safe-place, totally underground.
We also have a gas ventless fireplace that makes us sick when we use it. Hmmm... would I rather freeze to death, or die of pollution?
I so have a new appreciation for y'all who deal w/snow/ice for days/weeks at a time. I do take my hat off to you (but only briefly because I like my hat on the top of my head during this cold).
Wow, it has warmed up to 10 degrees! It's actually a noticable difference from yesterday, when it was zero most of the day. We cut our christmas tree yesterday in that cold...probably a bad idea. As we were loading this Yellow Pine into my Honda Element, everywhere we touched the needles just cracked right off!! Yikes, I hope I won't get home today and find all the rest of the needles laying on the floor of the living room!!
On the subject of a different post, this is the first year we've ever gotten a permit to cut our Christmas tree from forest service land! Every year for the past dozen or so...we've skipped the $5 permit to cut a tree. So much for my honesty!!