Ice

This is what greeted me this morning as I ventured out to work.  After not being able to walk down my sidewalk to my car, I made the necessary text messages, phone calls and emails to let everyone know I was coming in to work late, and not in a ditch somewhere.

  The ice on some things is pretty, viewed through the gray light of morning.  My new crepe myrtle and the two year old red bud are doing fine, so far, and look quite picturesque.

  Not faring quite so well are the butterfly bush and the beautiful, brave little dogwood.  I actually screamed a little scream when I saw the dogwood, the first damage I noticed from the ice storm.  I don't know if I should try to knock the ice off, or if it will be more fragile now than if I let it warm up a bit first.  It breaks my heart to see it bent over like that!  I put the stakes on either side of it when I planted, but then read how staking trees is not the norm anymore, and in fact, discouraged.  I see now I should have gone ahead and tied it to the stakes.

As is normal for this part of the country, all schools are closed, and the roads are treacherous, so I will sit tight until nine this morning.  My job doesn't involve the guests in the hotel, so it's not as important that I'm there as it used to be.  There are, however, 1692 jars of pickled beets & strawberries left to go, and I so want to get them done by next week!  Not worth risking my life for, but oh!  How I want to make something else!
  If you're in the ice storm area, be careful out there!

Update:  I got within five miles of the farm and turned around.  It's melting here in Knoxville, but it was getting icier and colder, the farther I went into the mountains--duh!--so I decided to come back  home.  Stay warm!