Canadian National Railway At Home in the Snow

Last weekend's snow storm brought 7.5 inches locally. Three days later the snow melted away. Canadian National CN Railway services part of this community by hauling ethanol and grain plus much more I suspect. On this day the locomotive pointed to the west, aiding in warming off some of the frozen precipitation.

Snow from Canada, Oh the Irony!

So I'm out looking for snow scenes to photograph since we received the first of the season white stuff last night and this morning. Locally 7.5 inches of wet snow blanketed everything. At the Quaker Oats mills here in Cedar Rapids, four hopper grain cars from the Canadian Pacific Railway were not spared from the frozen precipitation. Its the white cap of snow over word "Canada" that caught my attention. Snow from the Great White North is something generally expected, now it is confirmed! Good one eh?

Iowa's Last Grasp of Winter

Today's temperatures soared into the upper 30s. Snow started melting a few days ago and is expected to disappear by the end of this week. No problems here. At the Hurstville Lime Kilns near Maquoketa I found this field corn that someone left for the area wildlife. Corn is an icon of Iowa. I thought the juxtaposition of colors made an interesting photo.

Winter Wonderland in Eastern Iowa

 

On February 1st winter came back after a very mild December and moderate January. The Feb 1 snow started as rain, then turned to wet snow and finally powdery snow backed by wind. In all I shoveled three times to seek the concrete driveway under a storm total of 11 inches. The photo above was between shovel one and two periods. Thanks to the Toro snow blower for doing the job. The weight of the snow sent branches curling over. Two weeks later some of that snow has melted and the limbs have rebounded. Spring is five weeks away and can't come soon enough.

Snowy Stairway to Grant Wood

Just two weeks ago the overnight snow lightly dusted the three stairs to Iowa's most famous painter, Grant Wood's grave. Today, the first day of Spring has seen most traces of snow melt away.Time to paint en plein.

Snowy Jesus at the Sisters of Mercy

A February 1st snowfall gave much of the region another 2-3" of precipitation. The Jesus statue at the Sisters of Mercy Sacred Heart Convent in Cedar Rapids seems to wear the winter of 2013-14 like a blanket. Perhaps his halo can warm this relentless cycle of polar vortex cold. There's always a snowball's chance.

Busy Day at the Bird Feeders

Day two of a March storm yielded almost 8 inches of late season snow in eastern Iowa. With food sources scarce as a result of the storm several bird species decided to drop by 42N HQ to chow on free seed. I think this is a red-bellied woodpecker, one of two who tapped various tree branches for insects before finding a much easier food source. I am also experimenting with a teleconverter lens that increases zoom by 40%. The lens requires manual focus and lots of light I am discovering. These five photos are the best of the shoot. I like the top photo the best because it is unusual, has two seeds on the woodpecker's mouth, and most importantly, is in focus. 

The northern cardinal (male) gives this common sparrow the once over look. 

After scaring off the sparrow our scarlet cardinal showed more of his coloration before jumping to the ground to feast on various seeds shaken from the feeder.

This less colorful female cardinal stayed close to the red male - it is almost Spring you know.

Sparrows represent the majority of the winged feeders visiting the seed outlets. However, in the morning a flock of crows pecked around the snow for seed. Birds have to eat.

Snow Birds Still Here For Some Reason

Another backyard visitor showed up today. Are these birds wintering here or have arrived early from some southern location? News alert. We are forecasted to get another big snow storm this coming Monday into Tuesday. Perhaps in a month's time these birds will be joined by the real harbinger of Spring - robins.

Got Snow?

Remember the milk campaign of a few years ago showing famous people with a white milk mustache? That was on my mind when in Clinton, Iowa today I spotted this sculpture of a catfish sporting remnants of Thursday's blizzard in its mouth. Each of this downtown block' s corners features different animals of the region - just a block from the Mississippi River. And yes the entire eastern Iowa region still is reeling from the storm that deposited the first measurable snow of Winter 2012-13 in this portion of the state.

Channel Markers Guide Slush Towards New Orleans

Ol' Man River usually runs a muddy color through the mid-latitudes of eastern Iowa. This week's reflection of light turned the river's usual brown waters a more pleasant blue. Accented by passing clear slush flows, the river on January 10th ran steadily southward with only a few small fishing boats about.

Channel markers light the way for sizable watercraft (barges) to locate the nine-foot deep area of the river's course. Good to know if I decide to take the Delta Queen or Robert E. Lee from 42N's Cedar River down to the Mississippi River junction at Toolsboro and then on to St. Louis and eventually New Orleans. Know that.

Snowy Christmas Eve in 42N Country

Seven inches of snow fell today ensuring a white and merry Christmas...and more shoveling close to guest time.

Serious Snow Removal for Linn County

Ready for snow in 42N country? Linn County, Iowa is prepared for almost any snow accumulation. Huge snow drifts require big equipment. Linn County's secret weapon is the SNOGO snow plow. This two-stage auger plow can heave-ho 2,500 tons of the white stuff an hour. See if you can do that with your Toro.

Last winter's storms produced near record level of snow in the Midwest - almost a return to the levels from the 1970s. Back in 1974 Time magazine and other popular media proclaimed the eventual return of the ice age based on geologic records. Twenty years later other experts predict global warming and point to their data as evidence. A better theory is that politics entered the discussion, insisting that elected officials are the voice for nature. Gag where appropriate.

Regardless of which theory, if any, is correct the roads in these northern latitudes still need to be cleared in a timely fashion. Linn County is prepared for anything - just add snow and fuel.

Snow and Concrete

You never know what will inspire photography. Last week we received three volleys of snowfall plus record setting low temperatures in the minus 20s. This sight greeted me when I opened the garage door one morning. It is a mixture of concrete, tire marks in sandy slush and snow. Quite the diversity of colors and textures. If you click on this image you will see a larger size of this photo. It is currently my desktop photo. Know that.