Icing called

It appears the roller coaster weather we've had this Winter, combined with our extended January thaw, has caused a melt-freeze-melt-freeze cycle that's frozen in the gutters, which are now overflowing and dripping onto the front porch edge and then refreezing overnight. Yes, the gutters were cleaned last Autumn. It appears we've once again been "outsmarted" by Mother Nature. I wouldn't be as perturbed about this as I am except the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources notes that our broken climate means it's becoming warmer and wetter and affecting Winter and nights more than Summer and days. Some local businesses had a much worse case of "icing" late last Winter, so I'll try to not complain too much.

late Winter icicles, last year, Taylors Falls

Photo by J. Harrington

A week or two ago I threw a couple of salt tablets onto the roof above the front porch to help keep things flowing the last time we had an overflow-melting-icing event. Then we got more snow and freezing rain and drizzle and grep and whatever. It appears that adapting to a more volatile climate may be considerably more challenging that adjusting to one that changes and stabilizes. Maybe the good folks at Davos could lean harder on current government leaders or fund only those who are committed to following as expediently as possible the Drawdown solutions. There doesn't seem to me to be much sense in being a "1%" 'er on a ruined planet.

It might also help if the rest of us would come to our senses and, at least in democracies, choose leaders who are sane, responsible and ready to put the nation's good ahead of their own. That's what this year is likely to be all about in the U.S.

As Greta Thunberg noted at the World Economic Forum in Davos:

“Let’s be clear. We don’t need a ‘low carbon economy.’ We don’t need to ‘lower emissions,’” she said. “Our emissions have to stop.”

For emissions to stop, we need to rebuild and replace much of our existing infrastructure systems. Meanwhile, we're spending lots of time and political capital on the impeachment of someone who isn't qualified and shouldn't have been allowed to run for, let alone be selected by the Electoral College to pretend to be POTUS. Can we impeach the Electoral College, or at least send it to the penalty box?

Last Snowman

by Simon Armitage

He drifted south
   down an Arctic seaway
      on a plinth of ice, jelly tots

weeping lime green tears
   around both eyes,
      a carrot for a nose

(some reported parsnip),
   below which a clay pipe
      drooped from a mouth

that was pure stroke-victim.
   A red woollen scarf trailed
      in the meltwater drool

at his base, and he slumped
   to starboard, kinked,
      gone at the pelvis.

From the buffet deck
   of a passing cruise liner
      stag and hen parties shied

Scotch eggs and Pink Ladies
   as he rounded the stern.
      He sailed on between banks

of camera lenses
   and rubberneckers,
      past islands vigorous

with sunflower and bog myrtle
   into a bloodshot west,
      singular and abominable. 

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