I was sitting at the computer at home Friday afternoon when I heard a loud crash outside. Some investigation led to the discovery that a very large chunk of ice had fallen onto the deck from the pergola atop the deck where there are lots of grape vines.
One of our snowstorms deposited more than two feet of snow on the deck and west roof of the house. The warmer weather over the past couple of weeks had melted the snow which turned into solid ice, which now was falling through the open spaces on the pergola.
The ice chunk that fell could have injured us or the dog. There were lots remaining atop the pergola, so I stood in the doorway and poked the ice through the pergola with a broom handle until it all fell down .
I have always loved doing things like this. It was so oddly satisfying, poking those ice chunks so they crashed onto the deck, comparable to clearing blocked channels of water and unstopping clogged surface storm sewer grates. Odd, I know, but there it is. I would probably love doing demolition work. I also love shooting off fireworks. Perhaps they are related.
What do you find oddly satisfying? Ever been in an avalanch or had a concussion?
Trail Baboon 
XXXpresident Donny indictments are satisfying but not oddly.
November 4, 2007 The Obama Landslide
November 8, 2016 The Trump Concussion
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I agree— these indictments are satisfying.
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RIse and Shine, Baboons
This must be activities like popping the bubbles in bubble wrap or crunching thin ice on sidewalks. Satisfying and odd, and absolutely harmless. Knocking down icicles might be another one. I love that.
I had a concussion as a 12 or 13 year old when Iwas knocked down during a snake dance. I laid on the street while the other kids hopped over me or tripped over me. I remember being vaguely aware of laying on the street but being unable to move or get up for awhile. When I came to, I got up and walked home. It makes me shudder now, to consider the lack of response to such an injury, given what we now know about TBIs. (Traumatic Brain Injuries). It was not treated, of course, because in small town Iowa that stuff just happened, but it started a course of headaches that has not ever gone away.
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Oh dear!
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I may have had a couple of mild concussion as a child. My elementary school had a wide sidewalk that angled downhill to the playground. When it iced over in winter we would stand at the top and slide down in our boots. One time I fell near the bottom and landed flat on my back. I got the wind knocked out of me, not sure if I actually hit my head. On our town skating rink, there was a designated time for the boys to play hockey – otherwise it was open skating. During open skating, one of my classmates (a big guy) intentionally checked me (no adult supervision, of course) and I do remember seeing stars for a bit. As with Jacque, this was in a tiny town where stuff just happened. Mom was a nurse but I never told her what happened – probably wouldn’t have gone to the doctor because I seemed OK afterwards.
I agree with DT’s indictments being satisfying – but will he actually face any consequences?
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knocking out a plaster/lath wall for demolition back in the 80s when we did a bit of remodeling in our first house. The thrill of destroying something that “wasn’t supposed to be destroyed” was rather exciting. Even more exciting is that we did a decent job on the remodel and added a little pantry to our kitchen.
I also enjoy knocking down icicles. We don’t get many on this house, but my childhood home wasn’t well insulated so we often had some big ones. Fun to pretend they were swords. Or, eat the small ones like popsicles.
No and no on the last two questions.
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I grew up on a big hill with some Rick cliffs and steep slopes. How big a snow slide does it have to be to be an avalanche?
Clyde
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Maybe I have had as many as 5 concussions, not sure about any of them. Farming, logging, and football. Never knocked out, but don’t have to be. There is a memory lapse after one of about 3 minutes which film proves, so concussion likely there. No lasting effects.
Oddly satisfying tasks? Hmmmm? I’m thinking, thinking. Ice cycles and bubble wrap for sure. Splitting wood and splitting rails a la Abe Lincoln way back when. For Sandra it was dusting and washing windows. I know, weird.
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As I drove home fot lunch today I spied a little boy sitting on the curb in front of his house with a great big slotted spoon . He was scooping leaves that were blocking the melting snow from flowing down to the street sewer. I wish I could have joined him!
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An engineer.
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Is this the kind of avalanche you had in mind?
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Did hit my head last August when’s I fell midst a tick disease (anaplasmosis) that affected my balance. After five days in the hospital and I felt okay I noticed a weird feeling in my head. I had bruised my brain, it healed slowly for several months. Diagnosed as a hematoma, not concussion. What’s the difference? Cynthia “Life is a shifting carpet…learn to dance.”
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A hematoma is bleeding under the skull that forms a clot. A concussion is when the brain is shaken or jarred hard enough to bounce against the skull.
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It is oddly satisfying to take a plastic bag with me on a neighborhood walk, and pick up debris that has been left behind by the melting snow drifts. Husband walks pretty slowly anyway, so I can catch up with him… Any time I am creating something that looks better than it did, or makes some kind of order out of chaos.
I haven’t had a concussion, but Joel did night before last day of school one year – he and friends were jumping out of Big Tree onto the rope swing, and something went wrong. A while later they were in his room and Peter came out, saying Joel was talking funny – repeating questions, etc. We ended up in the ER, and he just had to take it easy for a few days, had to postpone his finals.
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I love to walk in leaves in the fall. When I walk the dog, I purposely walk towards the edge of the sidewalk so that I can kick through leaves as I’m going along. I don’t know why. No concussion, no avalanche.
Completely OT but I’m gonna ask us a few times over the next couple of days cause I don’t know who’s reading what when… but do any of the Twin Cities baboons have a pick up truck?
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yep
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On the drive home tonight I saw 4 elementary school age boys, all in shorts, one even shirtless in our warm weather, with ice choppers and shovels “engineering” so the snow melt ran down the curb and gutter.
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It got up to 69° here today. 80° tomorrow.
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We reached 70º here today.
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Yeah, I think we hit 75…
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Oh, for a picture! Then there’s this (which some of you have no doubt seen on FB):
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9250837181623335&set=gm.6858097784216819&idorvanity=1165575173469137
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I’m surprised that no one has mentioned kicking off the crudsicles or clunkers that accumulate on cars during the winter months. It seems like it ranks in popularity right up there with hotdishes.
I have never been diagnosed with a concussion, but like others on the trail, in all likelihood I wouldn’t have been taken to doctor’s even if I had sustained an injury that might have caused one. I can think of at least two instances from my childhood that might well have resulted in one.
I have never been in an avalanche.
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After a snow I always like to go someplace with underground parking and take advantage of the geothermal effect. The Rondo library is a favorite. I go upstairs and browse the stacks awhile and then go back down to the car and nudge the melting ice and snow off, little by little. It slides right off like mealted butter.
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Evening-
No concussions or avalanches for me. Except maybe snow falling off the shed roof. Had a few close calls from that. And had to shovel out some of those too, which sucks. Son could tell you.
Yeah, snow warts are fun to knock off.
Sorting screws, in the right mood, is cathartic and soothing.
On Fridays I clean the shop. Vacuum, sweep, haul out garbage. It’s a good process and satisfying.
Shoveling off the theater loading doc, which isn’t very big, also gives me a good sense of accomplishment.
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I have witnessed multiple avalanches… in Fargo. Years ago, a new ag building at NDSU was constructed with a roof that had 2 foot wide chutes. The design allowed snow to accumulate, melt and eventually release into a courtyard below. The ice fell from 20 feet high and would shoot out 12-15 feet from the building. Poor design!
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gonna say
avalanche in fargo … really
little flat for that
i’ve been in some interesting ski situations where you want to send one of the rick stars down to see if the snow was ok and had the new powder go cascading down
been just after mud slides in so california
dinged a few times and saw stars but no t i i’m aware of but who knows my brain is a little like that anyway
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“one of the rick stars”??? Assuming it’s a voice recognition snafu that I can’t decipher.
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I had a concussion when I was about 12. Mom and I were ice skating on the frozen lake in front of our house. We were playing tag and Mom was “It.” I was skating madly away from her with enough speed to lose my balance when she tagged me from behind. I don’t remember how I fell and hit the back of my head, but I did. I lost time and I don’t remember clearly what happened after that. I don’t remember going to the doctor but I do remember a terrible headache and having to stay in bed or on the couch for two weeks. I also remember a minister from a church coming to see me. That was the only time that ever happened! I don’t think I was dying, but… why?
The avalanche happened here at this condo. In February 2019 we had several heavy snows, one right after the other. The snow faucet wouldn’t turn off. We get ice dams here, and an amazingly huge ice dam formed on my roof. I’ve never seen anything like it and I hope I never will again. That winter I learned to take my screens off the bedroom windows in the fall so that I can push icicles down as they form. (Very satisfying, by the way.) However, that year I didn’t know to do that and the resulting icicles were feet thick and covered my upstairs windows completely. I complained and complained to the HOA, insisting that there was going to be damage. Finally there was damage to another unit. Someone’s ceiling fell into their bedroom. They finally spent the money to get a large crew up on the roofs to shovel snow down from above. They didn’t remove the icicles though. They were allowed to melt and fall on their own. When the icebergs that were hanging over my bedroom windows started falling the crashes and bangs they made shook the structure. I’m amazed there was no damage. I have a photo of a huge iceberg impaled into an enormous pile of snow on the deck. I’m glad I wasn’t outside underneath them when they began to fall.
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