Snow-Gauge Clif, Winter

Enter…Snow-Gauge Clif

73 Comments

First, the good news. All around the world, blog readers have been waiting for Snow-Gauge Clif, and this week he is making his first appearance on the first Monday in March, the way he has for many years.

But—and I expect readers knew there would be a but—I’m not sure how many more weeks you will have of Snow-Gauge Clif. Normally, he goes into April, sometimes to the middle of the month. This year, unless there are some major snow storms, he’ll be lucky to make it to the middle of March.

Let’s begin with yesterday’s temperature. (This year’s photos were taken on Sunday, March 3.)

For Mainers, this is an eye-popping temperature in March. Heck, once upon a time, we were lucky to get this temp by the end of April.

Not surprisingly, the mud is in full swing. In the backyard, the footprint left by my Sloggers tells the story. Squish, squish. I’m itching to get back there and do some clean-up. Not until the mud dries up.

The ice on the patio is m-e-l-t-i-n-g.

Will the ice be gone by next weekend?  We shall see. At this rate, we’ll be having drinks on the patio by the beginning of April.

And, now, the man you’ve all been waiting for—Snow-Gauge Clif!

In the front yard in 2024, where there’s  a bit more snow than the backyard.

For a comparison, here’s last year’s picture taken on the first Sunday in March 2023.

Now to the backyard this year, 2024.

In the backyard last year, 2023.

In March 2022, on the first Sunday of March, front yard and back.

This is an El Niño year, which always brings a warmer winter. But. Not. This. Warm. I can’t recall a March with so little snow.

Stay tuned for next week.

************************************************************************

Reading

The Curse of Pietro Houdini
By Derek B. Miller
Originally published: January 16, 2024

I have read some very good books this year—An Owl on Every Post (Sanora Babb); Offshore (Penelope Fitzgerald); Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Heather Fawcett)—but if I read a better book than The Curse of Pietro Houdini by Derek B, Miller, I will be surprised. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, The Curse of Pietro Houdini follows the perilous journey of fourteen-year-old Massimo, orphaned during the American bombing of Rome in 1943.

Fleeing Rome, Massimo meets Pietro Houdini, who saves the teenager from a vicious beating from thugs. Onward the two go, first to Montecassino, a Benedictine Abbey, where Houdini presents himself as a “Master Artist and confidante of the Vatican.” After that it’s on to a little village. Along the way there is an art heist, gold theft, murder, and great sorrow. But there is also wisdom and humor, love and generosity, which Miller deftly balances with the horrors of World War II.

The characters in The Curse of Pietro Houdini—among them Massimo, Houdini, Brother Tobias, and even the mule Ferrari—are vivid and quirky but never cartoonish. The shifts in perspective among the characters are nothing short of brilliant, and, yes, I have a serious case of writer’s envy.

This is a book to buy for yourself and a book to buy for others.

 

 

73 thoughts on “Enter…Snow-Gauge Clif”

  2. The strong March sun will melt what’s left in no time, although this month has been known to bring some unexpectedly big snows. I always appreciate book recommendations.

  3. Isn’t it absolutely astounding!! And as much as I love winter, I love this anomaly, too. Especially in the year when we’re getting ready to move. It sure makes things a lot easier!! Terrific comparison pics.

  5. Goodness, Mr. P would never pose for pictures. Today I wanted to make a video and take photos of him making a strawberry planter. I only just managed to persuade him to allow me to include his hands!

    ~The difference between the depth of snow last year to this is incredible.

  7. Welcome back Cliff ….I think we’ll have to send you an Aussie hat & some sun cream for future photos!
    The contrast between the two years is absolutely amazing.
    Thanks for the book suggestion, it is Paul’s birthday soon, and The Curse of Pietro Houdini will be just right for him.
    Happy reading until the mud dries up.

  8. Hi, Laurie – We also have had a much milder winter than ever before. Until this past week, the only snow we had was in January, and that was only a one time hit. It did snow a tiny bit yesterday and the day before but most of that melted before it hit the ground. Sadly, I think the reasons for this go far beyond El Nino. 😦

  11. So pleased to see Snow Gauge Clif but, with those balmy temps I thought he’d be in shorts and T shirt 😁
    I used to be an avid reader…not so much now as I wear reading glasses and snuggling down in bed with a book just ain’t the same. Oh, and podcasts…I’m addicted! 😁 Having said that, I like the sound that book! I think it sounds worth some misaligned specs

    1. Right? For a Mainer, that weather counts as a heatwave. I read in bed with glasses, so I know just what you mean. Still, always worth it to me, despite the misaligned specs.

  12. I have to smile because even if Snow Gauge Clif is out of business, I can already visualize the patio furniture being brought out. 🙂 There is not one flake of snow anywhere in our yard, not one. Strangest weather ever.

  13. If Snow Gauge Cliff was being paid to measure snow, you all would be in dire straits this year! The comparison pics are fun to see. We are a full month ahead in the garden, so my spring behavior looks like early April right now. Cold season vegs are being sown as we speak. I have some anxiety about the summer ahead! But I am enjoying now (and waiting for the other shoe to drop).
    Drat! My library doesn’t have the Derek Miller book! It sounds quite interesting. Always good to hear what you’re reading.

    1. You got that right! I, too, wonder what kind of summer we are going to have, but as you pointed out, we might as well enjoy what we have right now. Too bad your library doesn’t have that book. It really is such a good story.

  14. It is really shocking weather this winter… there have been warm winters, but never like this! Clif won’t be posing after this week’s rain I expect. Golly, you’ll have to come up with another job for him! 😉

  15. We have no snow to speak of, and haven’t for a couple weeks. And then before the last storm we had no snow for several weeks. Actually we’ve had no snow this winter. It’s been kind of nice…but it’s not right.

  17. Welcome back, Clif, we’ve missed you! If the climatic trend illustrated here continues next winter maybe we’ll see him modelling the latest fashions in beach attire in your 2025 update? 🙂

    1. Gosh, you never know. But if that should happen, Clif will need to go shopping to spruce up his beach attire. His winter wardrobe is much bigger.

  19. We are paying for the mild weather here in Southwest England with endless rain. I think we’ve only had one frost this winter so far which would please the gardeners but for the fact that the ground is so sodden they can’t get on with much outside.
    I like the sound of the recommended book but it is only available on pre-order until later this month and I don’t buy hardback fiction so will make a note and wait for the paperback or Kindle edition to come out.

    1. I have a blogging friend who lives in or near New Forest, and they are absolutely water logged. Lots of trees have toppled because of the water-logged ground. Yes, The Curse of Pietro Houdini is a recently published book that should eventually come out in both ebook and paperback form.

  21. Pingback: seating – Touring My Backyard

  24. I do feel sorry for the snow-lovers out there, Laurie, but you know I’m not one of them! I’m quite happy NOT having to shovel our long driveway or insert tunnels in the backyard for Monk. Still, the mud bothers me, as does the likelihood the fleas and ticks will be out in full force this summer. Sigh. And I hate thinking about the number and severity of hurricanes this year. Poor Clif looks pretty forlorn in the absence of snow.

  26. I couldn’t help but think that the Sierras took all your snow. The amounts that have fallen, including over the famed Donner Pass, are just amazing. I do hope you get your March snow. We always counted on at least one March blizzard in Iowa: it was regular as clockwork. Maybe someone forgot to wind your weather clock!

    1. Right? They certainly got a lot of snow. March is usually a very snowy month for Maine, but so far it’s been warm weather and rain. We shall see.

  27. Welcome back Snow-gauge Clif!😊 What a difference with previous years Laurie and it is so good to have these photographs for your own and possibly for local records too. Would this be of interest for your local paper? ✍

    1. Many thanks! Don’t know how much more you will be seeing him. A storm is coming in on Sunday, and it all depends on whether we get snow or rain.

      1. I’m not sure whether you would prefer the snow or the rain! Neither sounds wonderful. f it is rain I he you will find another excuse too blog photos of Clif.

      1. I see the magnolias are all ij bud round here – three weeks early. It is indeed strange, though it still has the capacity to turn bad for a few weeks more.

  30. The difference in snow cover between last year and this year are mind-boggling. The temperature bounces all around here. This morning it is 23 degrees. Later on today it will get up into the 40s.

  31. Let’s just up and say it: Snow-gauge Clif should be a March feature on Weather.com! What a great (and worrying) snow post. Down here, we have chairs on the porch and the deck. Hoping to get to some raking soon.
    P.S. Regarding movies, we stumbled on Signora Volpe on Acorn, and I thought it was very entertaining and well done. For your list….
    -Julie

    1. I will let him know that you think he should be on weather.com Yes, a worrying snow post. I don’t subscribe to Acorn, but Signora Volpe might be added to Amazon sometime, and I will definitely check it out. Sounds like the show is right in my wheel house.

  32. Well, it does appear Clif will have to trade in his snow-gauge for his favorite beverage on the patio very soon!! I checked my photos from last year and we had a snowstorm at the beginning of March, but it looks like only rain in our forecast this month. I want to know if it already feels like May in March, how bad is my seasonal mental calendar going to be thrown off for the whole year?!?! Thanks for the book recommendations, I will be checking them out!🙂

    1. Yes, indeed. And while we love patio time, this is certainly not the way it usually is in March in Maine. Quite right to wonder about your mental calendar as the seasons progress.

  33. We didn’t get much snow this winter in Chicagoland, but we did get some heavy rains recently. Hopefully things will even out and we’ll have a seasonable spring!

  34. What a change over the years, Laurie. We had almost no snow this year (until this week), so you never know. Maybe that gauge will come in handy yet. But sitting on the patio in April sounds pretty good too. 🙂

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