Grateful...: Surviving the Snowpocalypse!

Monday, February 08, 2010

Surviving the Snowpocalypse!

Nearing the end of last week we began hearing dire predictions for a Winter storm that was heading our way from the South. I believe that makes it a 'Nor'easter". By Friday afternoon people were in a panic, clearing the grocery store shelves, gassing up their vehicles, and generally making South Floridians facing a hurricane look sane. I had gone to the store on Thursday and worked on Friday until 2, so I was determined not to go back to the store but head straight home once I was finished.

Kate did have to work, (at the grocery store) and Jim worked as well, so he picked her up on his way home. Bekah was supposed to work at Fridays, so, since the sky wasn't falling by 4:30 she went on in, using our All-Wheel Drive vehicle.

At about 5:30 the first flakes began to appear, and we were making soup and falafels for dinner. It took a while for the storm to really get moving, but when we were texting Bekah to tell her to get off work and come home NOW, it was another hour before she was released. By then she was rather nervous about driving in the dark with the weather, but she has nerves of steel so we told her to go ahead and come on home.

Our hill, you must understand, gets difficult to climb once the roads get too bad. We knew that they were still passable with the car she was using, provided she came up a certain road. If she didn't come home Friday, we wouldn't see her until Sunday, because the snow was forecast to continue for almost 24 hours. She gritted her teeth, took a hold of the wheel, and made it home safely. What a relief. With all of our darlings safe under our roof, we tucked ourselves in for a long Winter nap.

In the morning I crawled out of bed and took a look out the window. Snow was steadily falling in the quiet dawn, and there was no discernible difference from yard to driveway to road to neighbor's yard across the street. Pure, undefiled snow, as far as I could see. And continuing to fall...

Just gorgeous,... and deep! (Look at the bench to the right)

The situation clearly called for action. So I gave everyone a wake up holler and dashed downstairs to make pancakes! Once fed, the crew suited up for battle and attacked the snow with shovels, at least 2 feet deep on the front porch, back porch, and driveway. Before long our neighbor Keith brought up his Kubota tractor for Jim to use to clear our driveway- what a blessing indeed! With two feet of snow already blanketing the driveway, and more falling, it begins to look like a futile task. Even with the borrowed machinery it took Jim and Isaac 4 1/2 hours to finish up.

Isaac and Jim in their mission to dig us out...

Now this will help!

The storm has passed, all is quiet and calm.

Vali enjoyed herself immensely outside once she figured out where the steps to the deck were. Jumping and leaping through all of that chest-deep snow was the best fun she'd had in a long time. So much fun, in fact, that she needed to barf her entire breakfast on the carpet before laying down for a quick nap.

Indoors we had a cozy fire going in the fireplace and Kate and Bekah helped me with household cleaning while I also cooked and baked. A hearty spaghetti lunch was just what the diggers needed, and warm fresh bread from the oven is simply aromatherapy and absolutely delightful on a cold day. Later in the evening, once we were all recovered from our labors, we made pretzels from an Auntie Anne's kit- yum- and played a new game that Jim got the family for Christmas; You've Been Sentenced.

Warm and yummy.