Photodump 2: RETURN OF PHOTODUMP

As tens of you know, large portions of South Dakota, if not the whole state, are currently being terrorized by our constant nemesis: WINTER.

This is baffling, even to people who are South Dakotans, because it is April, and WINTER was supposed to have been defeated for another 5 months or so to make way for our other nemesis: ROAD CONSTRUCTION. But WINTER had one last trick up its sleeve.

We got hit early this week by nasty ice storm, which was followed up by a snowstorm that dumped several inches of snow on top of the already thick ice.

 

I woke up the first morning of the storm to find that we were getting some leaks from our ceiling. Note: ceiling =/= roof. We have another floor on top of us. Some of the leaking was coming in from the area by our balcony, but it was still not pleasant to wake up to. Then I actually stepped out onto the balcony and took the second photo. Already, you can see that the weight of the ice was starting to cause branches to break and fall. Please to be taking note of the large tree on the left.

 

I walked home from work and took a few photos. I can only describe the weather at the time as "frozen rain." Didn't seem right to call it hail. It wasn't sleet or snow, though, and it certainly wasn't "freezing" rain. It had already frozen. The course of the day was continuing to take its toll on the local trees.

 That night, while I was in the bath, I heard my boyfriend step onto our porch. The sound of the door sliding open and shut seemed oddly loud, but I didn't think too much of it until he came back inside and told me that the tree outside our balcony had lost a large branch just as he stepped outside. So of course I finished my bath and had to take a photo.

 

There was more tree carnage on my way to work the next day.

I spotted this on my way to work that day, as well. I suspected it was someone's misplaced/forgotten jacket. It was frozen solid to the bench.

There is a continued theme, here, is there not?

 

That large tree outside our balcony has split in half. The weight of the ice and snow on the large branches of either side of the tree finally caused it to split right down the middle. 

There was too much tree carnage for just photos. Had to take some video, as well. This was on my way to work after the snowfall.

And now this was on my way home.

Temperatures have been warm enough through yesterday and today that white a lot of melting has happened already. I'm pretty tired of this winter bullshit, though, I can tell you that much.

Photodump: kitty paws and kitty noses and butterfly wings

We call him Mister Big Eyes for a reason.



The ever-popular "jelly-bean toes".





I can't remember if it's Cyric's paw or Isis's. The black-looking leg makes me think it's Cyric's, but it could be a trick of the light & is actually Isis Grey.



There's that nose again! Eeeeeeeeee!



Greedy butterfly, trying to get that whole orange by himself.



I long for an actual macro lens, instead of my shoddy macro lens attachment, which is pretty crummy at getting a decent portion of the frame in focus. Or, maybe I should long for some actual skill at photography, instead. Hmmm....



I got lucky.



Butterfly wiiiiiiiiiing! And butterfly buuuuuuuuuutt!



This is not a kitty paw, or a kitty nose, or a butterfly wing. It is a flower. I included it as a surprise to you all. Are you surprised?



Back to the butterflies!



I nearly stepped on this guy.