Ice Storm December 2016

Starting on Thursday December 8, this was the scene on Friday morning. 

Ice continued to build up as the temperature stayed just below freezing through Friday.  Of course, we lost power on Thursday afternoon through evening, and again Friday night through Sunday at 1:30am.  We even lost power to our telephone landline Friday night through Saturday.  And it is not possible to go online and see a map of where the power outage is (as the Portland General Electric phone message suggests) because when we have no electric power here, we have no cell phone service and no internet connection (just venting a bit).

Saturday morning the sun came out and the temperature began to rise.  Lots of broken branches and ice chunks crashing to the ground.

 A Great Blue Heron visited the neighbor's field.

 And Deagan got a chance to stretch his legs as the ice started to melt. 

 Close up of the ice-encrusted grass.

Sun starts to set on Saturday -

Histories and Mysteries of the Columbia River Gorge

Friends of the Columbia River Gorge announce this years hiking challenge:
20 places to visit of historical or geological interest

Including such places as Celilo Falls fishing village, ice age flood remnants, fish wheels, and Lyle convict road (I hadn't heard about that place - there is always more to learn).  If you become a member of the Friends, you are eligible for prizes if you complete the challenge, which of course I plan to do.

 Here is one of our winter visitors, a pair of Anna's Hummingbirds - Calypte anna - who arrived in the middle of October and will leave before the middle of March (based on what has occurred the previous two winters).    I was busy during the recent stormy cold weather keeping the hummingbird food defrosted (it freezes below 28 degrees F.) In the summer we have  nesting Rufous Hummingbirds - Selasphorus rufus - that arrive in March and leave at the beginning of October.

 The history of ice storms in the Columbia River Gorge continues with the most recent storm on
March 1, 2014 - surely the latest in the calendar year that I have experienced. 

 Ice built up overnight and through much of the day on March1, coating everything.

Late in the afternoon it began to melt

 But there were casualties among the trees - these willows were rooted in very wet soil and the weight of the ice on the branches pulled them down.