Ice Storm December 10-11

Peru State College closed on 10 December, interrupting final examinations, because of the very nasty weather that threatened. As the following picture from my front yard indicates, a beautifully dangerous ice storm struck the area.

Kansas Street at 8:30 a.m.

The limbs in the street provide evidence of the general destruction the storm caused. A branch hit the side of my house at around five in the morning when I also discovered that the weather had caused a power outage in my area, which lasted over twelve hours. The City of Peru did an excellent job of clearing the streets. And the power company got electricity restored quickly.

Cleaning the Roads in Peru

Paul Pate, who heads the physical plant and facilities at the college, gave me a ride out to the campus. I appreciated the lift, for the falling branches in the area sounded like shotgun blasts and made walking the tree-lined streets a precarious enterprise.

I found the lights on at the college and enjoyed a pleasant cup of hot tea in my office.

Sign by Student Center

I walked around campus and took a number of photographs, including the following shot of a decorated light near the library:

Light in Front of the Library

The storm did considerable damage to the trees on campus. Walking around the campus, I ran into one of my students, Chelsea Merritt, who told me to check out the area around T. J. Majors, which houses Professional Studies and Education. As Chelsea indicated, fallen branches dotted the area.

Front of T. J. Majors

To appreciate the beauty of the storm and some of the damage caused, take a look at the images posted here on Flickr .

At home, fresh seed and water attracted considerable numbers of birds to my yard, including Goldfinch, Junco and Bluebirds.

Bluebird at Bird Bath

Goldfinch and Junco Negotiate the Icicles