Inspiration

Tidbits of Wisconsin Winter in July

Yesterday in Wisconsin, it was 90 degrees and it felt like we had been transplanted to some wonderful tropical spot.  Nah, that’s my wishful thinking.  That hot in Wisconsin meant that our sweat beads were sweating.  We could’ve used some cooling off.  Days like that make us feel like warming up to thoughts of winter.

We even started our Christmas shopping at the winery.  Wait … WHAT?!  Haven’t you started your shopping yet?  There are only 153 days left to shop.

But I’m not ready to head back to temps like we had this past winter which ran from 12/21/2019 – until the pandemic lockdown of 2020, aka, 3/19/2020.

In Wisconsin, that meant we had 89 days of fluctuating chilly temperatures.

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We had snow that fell often, sometimes by the foot or more at a time.

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Mr. shoveled and blew the snow with his handy-dandy snowblower that I’ve never used myself.  He assures me every year that he doesn’t mind the task.  Thank GOODNESS for that!

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We had snow that swirled around into beautifully crafted drifts.

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Snowdrifts tall enough to make Copper think his potty spot in the world had shrunk down to a 4 X 4 space.

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I sat and watched the view of falling and blowing snow often.

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I admired how the fresh fluffy snow dusted the branches and sparkled in the morning light.

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And how the deer painted trails in the snow when they strolled through our yard, stopping to nibble on the trees overnight.

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I watched the snowmelt in hopes that it would be the last of snow for the winter.

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But not all of it melted until well into spring this year, which made the early part of the lockdown a tad bit bearable.

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In an effort to check out the number of posts I’ve written on winter in Wisconsin I took a peek into my archives.  Let me tell you, it was often that I sat at our kitchen table, with a cup of tea (or glass of wine) in hand, and a book to read …

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all hunkered down,

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stuck in the house during the long winter months.  Yeah, it was easy for me to find proper moments to cheque out the view of snow quite often.

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I have several of my favorite winter posts if you’re so inclined to check ’em out.  There’s my Hygge View (Hygge is a term from Denmark, not the Czech Republic, supposedly their relations are ‘good’ – I’ve never traveled to either place, have you?).

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There’s my Empty Nest View where I shook off my winter blues.

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We teach them young in WI – temps well above freezing and the bikes come out!

The post I wrote about how I sucked it up and just returned the bikini, that one showed how deep our snowdrifts can get, it was a record snowfall year!   It’s no wonder that every winter, I imagine myself on a beach somewhere.

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And the post I wrote about our local side roads that lead to main attractions.

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Last but not least, there’s My Kitty’s View.

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If only winter just lasted for two-three weeks straight and then went back to fall or spring-like weather instead.  With all those favorite moments from above crammed into a shorter period, methinks winter may magically be my favorite time of year.

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Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday –

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Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “check/cheque/Czech.” Use one, use ’em all, use ’em any way you’d like. Have fun!  And Lens-Artists #107 – Winter with host Ann-Christine.

PS – What is your favorite season?  What do you do to stay warm in the winter?  What do you do to stay cool during the summer?  Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?  

45 thoughts on “Tidbits of Wisconsin Winter in July

  1. Wow, so much chilliness but beautiful too, Shelley. I don’t miss the white stuff. If winter was as short as you said, then we never would have got any serious snowmobiling in those many years ago. Be well. 😊

    1. Thanks John. When each winter rolls around, I do like seeing the first few snows. By March or April or May I’m done and ready for a change. Snowmobiling was a big deal here this year. Plenty of snow on the trails, you would’ve enjoyed it.
      Same to you, John, be well!

        1. We’re having the heat like you do in Vegas (except with more humidity). I bet you’re missing family too.

  2. Thanks for sharing those photos, Shelley. We’re going to be 95-100-95 for the next three days. I’m with your hubs, I don’t mind walking behind the snowblower.

    1. Thanks, Dan. I wish we could get a little bit of snow to chill us off this week. We did have rain today, but the temps went right back up! Stay cool! I hope you get enough shade to finish up your shed.

  3. Love the picture of the rabbit all hunkered down. It’s nice to dream about winter… I think autumn is my favorite season, winter a close second. To stay cool in the summer I enjoy the great indoors with the air conditioner humming away. I used to live at the local beach when the kids were little. Have not started Christmas shopping, still trying to get used to the idea that it will probably be just the two of us this year because of the pandemic. Enjoying your blog!

    1. Hi Barbara, thank you for stopping by to share your thoughts. You’re wise to stay inside when it has been so blasted hot. I’m guessing Christmas will look different for all of us this year. I hope not, time will tell. Your blog stories about family history are very interesting. Nice work!

  4. LOL Shelley – I love your idea of cramming all the snow and cold into a few weeks. even I could enjoy that! But months of cold and ice, I simply could not do it. Then again, you could think of it as pandemic practice ???

    1. Thanks, Rebecca. Having a glass of wine in their outside setting had something to do with the early shopping 😉

  5. Saw a photo of you and Mister setting off firecrackers. That’s why it’s so important, Shelley, to see how other people, people you like and admire, live! Every night for about 2 wks b4 and 1 week after 7/4, kids
    set off fireworks right below my window. Well, I’m 8 stories up, but with tall buildings all around, there’s a cavern effect. So here I am typing away, and suddenly this incredibly loud noise happens, causing at least a year to flop off the end of my life. Any time at night … from 9 PM to 3 AM.

    And so I hate fireworks, right? But then I see 2 happy kids, and two very responsible grownups, about to watch a little fireworks display for the fun and pleasure of it. And I smile and say to myself, “Well well, look at that! A whole different way of looking at things!”

    So thanks again, Shelley. I don’t have to destroy all the firecrackers in the world and all the people setting them off. I just have to murder the 6 kids from across the street when I find them!

    1. Yikes, that doesn’t sound fun. I’d be ready to go after those kids too. This year we didn’t even hear them. With new windows and our little dog who has gone deaf, we don’t hear storms or fireworks – just sleep right through it all. Another blogger friend said she’s been hearing fireworks in Michigan too. WTH? Where do those rascals get the $ to waste on fireworks? We only had two nights of it this year, guess Wisconsin folk are more interested in going to the bars and the beaches to stay cool.
      Thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts, it’s always great to hear from you. PS – I’d send in recruits to help you on your quest to stop the firecrackers, but NYC has banned WI from visiting. 🙁

  6. Shelley, I not sure I should have “liked” this post because, you know…winter. Your photos are beautiful, but I hope we can go until December this year before the first flake falls. And I hope whatever falls over winter is gone by mid March because it’s been an unusually mild one. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Could we wish for it?

    Hope you are staying cool today!

    1. Mary, I’m with you on the whole winter thing. This week, though, it would’ve been nice to have a bit to cool off with. If we have snow on 12/24 and be gone by 3/24, I’d be happy too! I’ll wish for it with you!
      Hope you’re staying cool too – even the cats are moving slow so they don’t sweat too much! LOL
      PS – I hope your last month of work goes well – congrats on being able to retire in September!!!

  7. My favorite season is Road Construction….

    We bought a new furnace and cental air unit a couple of years ago that does a great job of keeping us cool in the summer andwarm in the winter.

    We don’t do Christmas shopping. As we need things through the year, we go ahead and purchase them.

    1. LOL – road construction is a long season!
      Yes, with our new furnace, then roof, then windows, our house stays comfortable year-round. Making staying at home not so bad.
      We used Christmas shopping as an excuse to head to the winery this past weekend. Otherwise, we’re like you – we purchase what we need/want as we go.
      I hope you and Mary are doing well!

  8. Christmas shopping? Bah Humbug not yet. Although yesterday was “Christmas in July” back in the day. Beautiful images of winter. I recognize many of them. Hunkering down is the perfect setup for photo ops! When it’s the middle of winter, it does feel like it’s never going to end though – I remember too well. Maybe this winter, freeze some snowballs for days like this next summer 🙂

    1. LOL – when the wine that the in-laws love goes on limited sale, we must start our Christmas shopping ;-).
      I’m considering buying myself an early present – I’m feeling like I want a new camera. I don’t need one, but I kind of want one. Which one did you get?
      Yes – that’s a great idea, I should do that with snow, it might make for a fun blog post next summer too! You’re so darn clever, thanks for the ideas!

      1. Well that makes perfect sense. And wine ages well 🙂 My camera is a full frame mirrorless Canon EOS RP. I only have the macro lens for it due to the expense. That type of camera was recommended by another blogger who is a professional photographer. I have liked it but there is still more I have to learn about its features.

        1. Thank you for the details about your camera. It takes lots of playing around to figure out cameras. I’ve had mine for a really long time, still don’t know much about it other than what works and doesn’t work with the type of shots I take.
          I think I need to do some research!

          1. You’re welcome. It is fun to do research, although I like the hands on kind and visiting a store now is not an easy option like it was last year when I bought mine.

          2. Yeah, I’m not sure I want to shop at Best Buy to figure it out either. I think I’ll watch some reviews and see where that takes me. I could always ask the adult kiddos what they think – they usually know what mom needs ;-)!

  9. Hah, I had to do a double take to check the date of this. It looks very Decembery. I do that every now and then. As I’m lounging by the pool (plastic pool filled with kiddie toys) I try to imagine what this will be like in November with snow on everything. That’s one of the things I love about our state. The seasons careen from one extreme to the other and it’s never dull. Beautiful pictures.

    1. That’s awesome that you’re lounging by the little plastic pool. We haven’t had one of those in our yard for years. Wonder if they’re on sale now or sold out?
      Your stay-cation photos made me envious. Such a gorgeous state you live in. I hope to visit there some day.
      Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Geanie, it’s great to hear from you!

  10. I love the picture of the snow-covered trees hanging over the road. Snow can be pretty in pictures… but I’m glad it isn’t an annual part of my life. And Christmas shopping already? Nope. (Actually, I don’t do it at all anymore, but when I did, I waited until it was actually winter 🙂 )

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Janis. That day we drove through town to see the snow covered trees was enjoyable. I’m not ready for winter yet, that’s for sure!
      I think this year will be different for Christmas shopping. The early wine sale was our motivation to begin shopping – the batch they were selling is a favorite of some of the family members and sells out fast. The label Christmas shopping was our excuse to head to the winery. 😉 The winery does a wonderful job of making social distancing possible.

  11. The sparkly snow in the morning light is one of my favorite winter sights to see. It’s so cool to see a pic of it now, both in the literal and figurative sense of *cool*

  12. I like looking at the snow but not traveling around in it … I took the bus for so many years, catching it at the end of my street, that I’ve never honed my driving-in-the-snow skills. Last Winter, since it was mild and not too much snow, I never drove in snow at all which has to be a first. I don’t like ice and sometimes it is sneaky ice which has caused me to buy heavyweight ice cleats and boots with big lug soles. So I am prepared, but if it was only cold with occasional snow I would not mind Winter at all. I planned lots of stay-at-home-hunkered-inside activities like some new books and some sketching supplies yet never got them done as I walked more than usual in Winter. I still have a collection of photos taken from a long trek at Henry and Clara Ford’s estate last August to spin into a post – a project I was sure I’d get done last Winter. My favorite season is Fall. The long-range prediction is for very hot temps in SE Michigan thru October – yikes, but I’ll suit up (with less clothing) and be happy it is not black ice on the trail which has happened in October in the past. Your snow pictures are beautiful – I don’t envy you for your snow totals though. 🙂

    1. Yes, I remember you’re not a fan of traveling in the snow. I’m not either, but do have four-wheeled drive just in case I need it. It’s nice to work from home so I don’t have to worry about traveling.
      You’ve got plenty of material for your posts – I don’t know how you keep track of it. As I typed that, I realized how many photos I take for potential posts and don’t get around to using them.
      Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I’m glad you liked the photos. I hope this year we both don’t get too much snow!

      1. If I lived in Wisconsin I would need four-wheeled drive or hibernate the entire Winter. It took me quite a few hours last Saturday to organize all the new photos and space out how I’ll use them. I think I have enough for most of August if not more. I went to another cemetery after chatting with Ally about her cemetery post. I had gone to an old cemetery a few years ago and did a post – this one is old too but at least the grass was cut so it looked a little neater. So, I’ll do that sometime – more of an evergreen post when I sit down and write it and organize the photos – I have about 25 photos but need to whittle that number down.

        1. LOL – yeah 4-wheeled drive does come in handy. Wow – I’m impressed, I’m not that organized. Yet, it doesn’t stop me from taking more photos!

  13. Hi Shelley living in a country with a temperate climate these scenes are certainly foreign to me, and very beautiful. I went hunting recently but nothing like this!

    1. Hi Abrie – ditto back to you. WOW your photos and post, I’m definitely envious. It was fun to take the hike with you, thank you for sharing!

  14. You are definitely a winter “champion,” Shelley! Those long winter months seem longer every year, don’t they? And now we’re back in New Hampshire, with its famously long winters. What were we thinking?? I hope preparing this post cooled you off a bit!😊

    1. Thank you, Patti! I think you’re a winter champion too. Why would you go back to long winters? We keep talking about how we might not want to live in WI forever like we always planned we would. When I prepared the winter post, it did cool me off, and kind of scared me too. I’m not ready for winter yet, it seems like we just finally got to go outside and enjoy the weather. 😉

      1. Great question, Shelley! We were thinking of traveling in the winter, but we’ll see how the covid situation develops. I’m not ready for winter yet, either!

        1. I think you and a lot of other people are waiting to make plans. Yesterday I saw the Sumac trees are starting to turn red. Yikes – I’m not ready for fall yet either.

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