As I tumbled into bed last night a long rumble of thunder seemed to roll right behind my head, and then rain came pouring down from the Heavens above. I listened for a few minutes before I drifted off, all the while musing about the Winter weather smorgasbord. We have also picked up some new seasonal vocabulary as well, including Polar Vortex, thunder snow and frost quakes. I missed the thunder snow event on Monday, but I understand alot of people in Monroe called to WWJ after the evening sky lit up with big blue streaks and it was thundering like a Summer storm. I went to get the mail mid-morning yesterday and I finally saw thunder snow for myself … unbelievably massive snowflakes and loud thundering simultaneously. The snow put down a quick coating in my driveway just while I was standing at the door. The appearance of frost quakes this Winter fascinated me as I had heard very weird and inexplicable booming noises outside, yet saw nothing out of the ordinary in the back or front yard the next morning. Then, our local meteorologists explained the phenomenon of frost quakes, or mini ground disturbances, as a result of the sub-zero temps we experienced in the Polar Vortex . There have also been an abundance of creaks and squeaks in the house, more obvious when the radio is off and Buddy is taking a break from singing. In fact, as I was writing this post, my corner cabinet startled me when it made a loud creaking sound, then a bang. I thought perhaps the door had opened and hit the table leg, but nothing was amiss. Hmmmmmm. I am thinking that cabinet needs a good coat of furniture polish since the furnace has been running nonstop 24/7 since November; it is rebelling and saying “please wax me” or, perhaps I have ghosts. The wind is raging out there right now at nearly 25-30 miles per hour and the rest of the house is emitting a host of peculiar noises as well. Hopefully, Buddy and I are not destined to end up whooshing away to parts unknown like Dorothy and her faithful companion, Toto. I am so thankful that I’ve not lost power and I am keeping my fingers crossed that we remain that way while awaiting Mother’s Nature next episode of wacky weather.