We finally got our first taste of spring last week! The daily high temperatures went from 50 one day to almost 70 the next day; followed by a string of 70+ degree days. It was a welcome change to our colder-than-average weather, and it looked like spring had finally arrived.
Every spring once the snow starts melting and the ground starts thawing out we have to endure the puddles and mud. The mud becomes especially bad soon after the frost starts leaving the ground. It’s then that the top few inches of ground are saturated with water that can’t soak in, and any traffic on the area churns the mud into a slurry.
It’s unavoidable that in spite of the conditions that we need to navigate around our little farm to feed and otherwise tend to our livestock. It’s this time of year that rubber Wellington boots are indispensable.
Unfortunately this year we’ve gone through the thaw/mud cycle more than once, as we had several weeks where we had a snowstorm followed by a thaw. Unlike with rain, when we get snow it temporarily insulates the ground delaying the ground thaw; then it takes time for the snow to melt, and then more time for the ground to dry out.
After this last week due to the sun, warmth and breezes most of the snow melted and we made great headway towards thawing the ground and drying everything out. It was also a nice change to see the grass starting to turn green again.
Our last snowstorm overnight on April 22-23 dumped another 4-5 inches of heavy wet snow on us:
Image may be NSFW.
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Within a week we had high temperatures over 70!
Here are front yard panoramas from 4/23 (after our last snowstorm) through 4/27 and 4/29.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
But when it comes to weather in Minnesota, all good things must come to an end, and by mid week they’re forecasting highs back in the mid 40′s with more rain and snow to come. So any notions of spring having arrived will likely soon be dashed (again).
While driving to work not far from our house I was annoyed to see that someone had decided to use the roadside as a dumping ground (again). Apparently people too cheap to pay for garbage pickup drive out into the country and just dump their trash wherever they feel like.
This time it was several TV tubes and TV front frame assemblies and the remnants of a microwave oven left by the road a few hundred feet from our house. Since none of it was sitting on snow it was probably dumped recently during one of our thawing spells.
All the electronics were stripped out of the assemblies, which struck me as odd. Did they remove the circuit boards and transformers and throw them out leaving the larger parts for the roadside, or were the electronics salvaged first? Is it the cast-offs from an electronics repairman?
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Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Since electronics became hazardous waste, it highlights one of the perils of charging for hazardous waste disposal. Some people too cheap to pay will get rid of their hazardous waste by any means possible, including dumping it by the roadside.
Some counties in Minnesota offer free hazardous waste disposal, and many cities in the area have “cleanup” days for residents where they can dispose of old appliances and electronics for free. However, Scott County charges for all hazardous waste disposal, and although Elko New Market has a spring cleanup day, they charge for each appliance they dispose of as well.
Until they start offering free cleanup days in the area I suspect we’ll continue to see garbage (including hazardous wasted) dumped by the roadside.
But considering the weather forecast, the latest garbage dumping in my neck of the woods might soon be covered by snow and I won’t have to see it again for a bit…