Going Nowhere

The snow continued to fall through the day and into the early evening yesterday.  When I measured it--after my most delicious soup dinner--it was a bit over 6".  Strangely, around 10:00 last night a warm wind blew through and the snow slowly began to melt.  I was so disappointed.

But, at some point after I went to bed the temperature plummeted again.  When I got up this morning it was 13* and everything was encased in ice.

Dawn sunrise from the front deck...

Looking north from the back deck...

When it snows, the contours of the coast range mountains, west across the valley, are clearly visible.  I took this shot from the living room, between two cedar trees that line the driveway...

After breakfast, I took the boys for a walk to see how bad things were on the road.  I figured there would be solid ice under the snow after the partial melt last night. 

Mountain folk know how to drive in all kinds of weather...as the tire tracks prove.  Bunny lives at the end of those tracks.  She's originally from the far north in Canada--used to treacherous Winters--and her husband George is a no-nonsense kind of a guy who wouldn't let a wee bit of ice and snow slow him down for any reason...

For my part, I also know how to navigate foul weather, but it's not me that I worry about whilst out and about...it's the other guy.  A lesson learned from my Dad, who drilled that concept into my head repeatedly when I was learning how to drive--and for years after whenever he was a passenger in my car. 

So, though my trusty Blazer will no doubt take me to infinity and beyond, I prepared instead.  Earlier in the week when I heard we were going to have a snow storm with record-breaking cold, I went to the store and stocked up.

A good thing, too.  The boys and I walked to the mailbox through ankle-deep snow--which for the dogs is belly-scraping depth--but underneath was easily 3" of black ice.  It's sunny and clear today, though only about 22* right now in the early afternoon.  No heat in the sun, of course, and with the temps dropping to the teens at night, I could be staying home for awhile. 

And yes, I'm smiling, thank you for noticing.

After we got home from the walk, I took a few more photos, then had to pull mini-snowballs off Ozzy's stomach and back legs.  It's tough having long hair. 

Long Needle and Mugo pines.  I love how the snow made little tufts on one and long feathers on the other.  The large fern is at the edge of my drive...

Guess I'm housebound now for at least the weekend...and I am so fine with that.  It's actually very liberating, not being able to go down the mountain.  I might even be feeling that kid-like euphoria when you realize it's a snow day and school's been cancelled.

Except better, because I have food and books...and whiskey.