by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Katey and the Great Texas Whiteout

My Daughter Katey During the Great Texas Whiteout

Katey and the Great Texas Whiteout

Florida was home.

Katey had not played in the snow

since leaving Russia.

Katey moved this year.

Texas snowfall surprised her…

First snow since age four!

Whiteout in Texas…

power off, roads hazardous.

Katey shoveled snow.

Historic blizzards…tragic.

Playing in snow…Katey’s joy!

Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

Photos by Ellen and Katey

Texas is experiencing unheard-of back-to-back blizzards and below-zero temperatures. This may be one of many examples of extreme weather events due to global warming. Increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes and wildfires, craters forming in Russia’s Tundra, and melting polar ice are some other possible examples.

Texas is not well-prepared for blizzards. Items such as Snowplows and snow tires are in short supply. The low temperatures are overtaxing the power grid and causing power outages. Some people’s water pipes have burst. A few areas have orders to boil water. Many people are stuck at home with a dwindling supply of food and without heat. I am grateful that my daughters and their household have experienced only a very brief power outage.

My Daughters, Katey and Ellen
Rez Plays with Katey’s Snow Angel
Don’t Do It, Ellen!
Yay. Snow!

76 Comments

    1. Pene, I know you are having to endure the weather, trying to care for your children who are out of school and having difficulty travelling to work where you are dealing with covid19. I hope you are doing OK. Thank you for your kind comment. ❤ You have been, and continue to be in my thoughts! ❤

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    1. Yes, the blizzards in the US are very alarming, Mousuimi! I am grateful that my daughters only lost power for a short time, and they still have some food. This storm is yet another wake-up call that we need to do something now to address climate change. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! ❤ Take care!

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    1. Thank you so much, Joanna, for your kind comment! ❤ It is my pleasure to share. I am grateful that they have power and food, and I am proud of them for finding joy in the midst of hardship. Rez is their recently adopted rescue dog. I can't wait to meet him! Take care! ❤

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  11. Glad your daughters are enjoying the snow. ❤️ But it’s a worrying matter that global warming is becoming a biggest problem nowadays. Who are to blamed except us!? 😣😣 Hope everything comes back to normal. Stay safe Cheryl.

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    1. Thank you, P, for sharing your thoughtful perspective. In my opinion, the first step is to recognize the problem. Then we can find solutions and implement them. We already know a lot about the problems of climate change. We need the will to implement solutions. I hope it warms up soon. Florida is the hot spot of the US right now, but I feel sorry for others. I hope all is well with you. ❤

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      1. Doing pretty well, Thank you! Very blessed to have power back on. They’re asking us to conserve water a little longer while they fix lines. Happy to help in that way. There seems to be shortages at the moment on lots of things, rather like the start of the pandemic. It’s good to see neighbors helping neighbors. 🤗💕.

        Liked by 2 people

  13. Dear Cheryl, last night I have seen wonderfully uplifting news from Texas. Masses of volunteers are working around the clock saving thousands of sea turtles who are dying because of the freezing weather. Brought to a huge rescue centre, they are warmed up or even defrosted and it is such a reassuring feeling that among the bad things, there are people who would do anything to help animals or people in need..
    I hope that you have seen the news!

    Joanna

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    1. Thanks, Joanna, for sharing this good news. ❤ Yes, I had seen the story, but I am glad you shared it here. When we had red tide in SW FL, many endangered marine animals, including hundreds of sea turtles, died. We moved away from the beach a year ago because the red tide was making us sick. The animals could not escape. This problem is manmade, and I wrote letters to officials about the issue. There are poems about red tide in two of my books.

      I did research on sea turtles for one of my "Hanging Out with Wild Animals" books. Sea turtles can live up to 80 years. They breed about every two years with about 100 hatchlings per nest. Of those, an average of one survives to adulthood. It is so good that the sea turtles in Texas were rescued! I agree that it is heartening that there are people out there who care enough to rescue animals. Gives you hope for the future! 🙂 Take care!

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    1. Not my senator. What “cheesy” behavior!

      Thank you, Kate for your kind comment. As you say, the conditions are pretty extreme. ❤ I am grateful that my daughters have power and food, and I am proud of them for finding joy in the midst of challenging circumstances.

      All the best!

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  15. I’m glad your family is having fun! Seeing snow where its rare does that to me every time. Thank you for mentioning this extreme weather in terms of overall global warming patterns which needs to be taken seriously.

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    1. Thank you, JoAnna for your thoughtful comment and for sharing your perspective on global warming. Texas typically has a couple of light snows a year. It melts the next day. These blizzards are not normal for Texas!

      Hope the storms have missed you. Take care! ❤

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      1. Thanks, Cheryl. Here on the Carolina coast, we’ve just had a lot of rain and lows in the upper 20s, but not at the same time, so no snow. The mountains on the other side of the state are another story.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Dwight, for your kind comment! Yes, it has been a disaster. I am glad my daughters have been able to find fun in a difficult situation. I just heard on the news that the power grid is back on, but many people are still without power. 30 people have died in Texas as a result of the storm. I hope the storms did not hit you too hard. Have a great day. ❤

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  19. Love your poem Cheyrl and your girls sure seem not to be phased by it and are having a great time which is good to here. Oh boy these record braking blizzards and cold are unreal. We can’t count on much these days with our weather. I do hope they stay safe and the power stays on! Adorable girls and great to see them enjoying each other making memories. ❤️💖

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    1. Thank you, Ashok, for your kind, thoughtful comment. ❤ It does my heart good that my daughters are OK and making the best of a challenging situation. My late husband and I adopted Katey and her brother from Russia when they were four and six. My husband's grandparents came from Belarus and Poland.

      I hope the storm did not hit you too hard. Have a great weekend! 🙂

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      1. That is so amazing Cheryl. Am so proud of you.

        I have only one biological child, a son, but have married off three girls and their children call me grandpa 😊💖

        Weather in my city is just perfect 🤩

        All the best to you.

        PS: I am having lots of issues with WP and am very little on it these days 😌

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Michel, you are right. The extreme weather event in Texas is unprecedented, and Texas was not equipped to deal with it. 30 people have died. The roads are hazardous. Many are without power and water and running out of food. Frozen water pipes have burst, flooding some homes. Warmer weather is expected over the weekend. I am happy that my daughters have made the best of a bad situation. 🙂
      Thank you for reading and commenting. Have a great week!
      Love ❤
      Cheryl

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  25. Oh!! Many of my colleagues had mentioned the extreme weather and they have been busy shoveling too. Living in perennial tropics, and with a fair share of power cuts, it’s difficult to fully imagine how terrible a power cut can get in extreme cold weather. So happy your daughters are managing well Cheryl, and having some fun and photogenic moments out in the snow too.
    Weather changes are being drastic. In North India we have had recurrences of glacier bursts and disastrous flash floods. Hope we manage to pull back on the damage done before it’s too late.

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    1. Thank you, Deb, for your thoughtful comment. ❤ Good to hear your thoughts. I had heard about the glacier bursts and flash floods on the news and wondered why I didn't see anyone mentioning it in their blogs. It is a disaster and a red flag, as is the extreme weather in Texas. We really need to address climate issues while it is possible to prevent further catastrophes. I am so glad that the US has rejoined the climate accords.

      I am pleased that my daughters managed to celebrate life in the midst of hardships. I think it takes courage to do that. 🙂

      Stay safe and happy! ❤

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      1. Thank you. I know Belarus is located in the west of Russia. It is a link between Europe and Russia.

        My best wishes to your family. Live together, support each other.

        Liked by 1 person

  28. Thank you for sharing, Cheryl. That looks like a wonderful time together! 🙂 I love snow and cold weather, but mostly from inside with a nice hot cup of tea. Canada is one place I would love to visit and spend time in real snow.

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      1. When it is safe to do so, there are several people I would like to visit, and a few places where the atmosphere seems peaceful. Maybe go on some journeys to find inspiration for different writing! 😁

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  30. Katey and Ellen are having so much fun. I too would love to make a snow angel. Beautiful fun filled poetry and the photographs are mesmerising.
    I was watching a movie last to last Saturday which sound very relatable to the situation you have described here. Movie: Day After Tomorrow.

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