Monday

Northwest Ohio Ice Storm

ice-coated branches of a cherry tree Left: ice-coated branches of a cherry tree

I have to admit that there is a certain beauty associated with the aftermath of a winter ice storm. Pictured on your left are some ice-coated branches of one of my cherry trees that glisten in the grey post-storm light.

The sounds of an ice storm are also unique, beginning with the crunching of human feet and vehicle tires across the frozen landscape. Each passing breeze also creates a crackling noise in the neighborhood trees that is not unlike popping corn, or perhaps the sound of distant fireworks.

Yet the damage associated with a severe ice storm far outweighs any fleeting aesthetic pleasures, and my yard took quite a beating in the storm that passed overnight. My yard is strewn with many dozens of goodly-sized branches, including the 20-foot fir limb that crashed down while I was beginning some cleanup.

 limb from a fir tree broken by heavy ice accumulation Left: limb from a fir tree broken by heavy ice accumulation

My yard better resembles a war zone, or the aftermath of a severe wind storm, than it does a quiet winter scene. I will be spending many hours chopping up these limbs and branches, and I suspect I will have enough firewood for the chiminea to handle three years' worth of outdoor parties.

A large broken limb in my neighbor's yard also hangs precariously over the power line that services my house. I am tempted to go cut it myself, but I would not want to be the party responsible if I guessed wrong and caused a power outage. I suppose the best course of action is to call Toledo Edison and hope they get to the problem before the broken limb completely snaps off.

Or luck could be on my side: the limb might break, glance off the line, and be nothing more than another branch to clean up.