Snowpocalypse

We've never had this much snow.  We had a lot of snow over the weekend-11 inches!- but when the last system came through, we got dumped on.  I wish I had an area cleared so I could accurately measure how much snow we got in total without the compaction of the bottom layer.  It was at least 17 inches.  People nearby had 20-24 inches.

Anytime any kids got too crazy, I sent them outside.  Fiona spent the most time outside, but only because she had things to do.  She probably enjoyed the peace and quiet of solitude out there. I know I did.

Mark helps Fiona finish her igloo

Almost done!

Kai likes to catch snowballs!

The animals fared well.  The turkey netting drooped down to the ground and then froze in place, so the turkeys are able to fly away...if they want.  The chickens just stayed in the coop.

Watching the geese traverse the deep snow was hilarious. They didn't even seek cover during the night and let the snow cover them.

Mark rescues one of his "baby" trees.  It's not a baby anymore!

The View from my Window

Lucky Ian got to get out during the break in the weather and get "snowed in" at his best friend's house.  They played hours of video games, built an igloo, and ate pork-free pizza.  We "missed" him.

Pile of snow on the back porch

My van. My poor poor van.  The snow is higher than the running board.  There is no way I can even get the van out of that spot now, two days after the snow stopped!

I really loved having so much snow.  Our home is so beautiful.  I felt like I was on a vacation in the mountains with my family, only I didn't have to worry about who was feeding my animals.  Mark and the kids work so hard filling our woodsheds (yes, two of them) with firewood.  We were never without heat.

After the snow stopped, the branches started to crack and snap.  We lost our papaya tree, which isn't even a papaya tree.  We've just called it that for so long, the name stuck. 

So much snow on the side porch!!!

Our power went out for 22 hours, along with the phone and internet.  I don't need power to be content, but my new baby chicks were cold! I had to set a timer on Fiona's Kindle to wake me up every 1 to 1.5 hours all night long to make sure the fire hadn't burned out and they weren't too hot or too cold.  I was so tired, but they lived.

Snowmaggedon 2019

Hi There!

It's been awhile.  Sorry.  I have all sorts of reasons for not writing.  I'm busy. My kids don't like me writing about them for other people to read about. My old technology (digital camera, desktop computer) aren't as convenient as a smart phone and Facebook.  I actually had to reset my password to this blog because I couldn't remember what it was.  I tried to reset it to what it actually was, so I'm getting old and forgetful on top of everything.

But we are in the calm between two (or more) snowstorms and I do like to go back and read old stories of past storms (and other things).

Firewood to last two years worth of snow

I enjoy reading Facebook posts of people that haven't lived here very long.  They laugh about Western Washington shutting down over a few inches of snow.  But those of us who survived the ice storms of 1996 and 2012 know better and are well stocked with firewood and other essentials. 

We have eight to ten inches so far and we are preparing for another eight in the next 24 hours. 

Oh, you thought spring was coming? 

Just about everything is ready.  The only bad thing about this storm is that we thought winter was over.  Mark bought me 29 new chicks for my birthday and they were delivered on Friday morning, just an hour before the snow started.  They did not have a nice trip.  We are down to 14 chicks.  Some died during the shipment, some got very cold when our power went out, and one died because it had a crossed bill defect and couldn't drink. When our power goes out, and it has twice in the last 24 hours, we move them close to the woodstove and monitor closely.

The snow is perfect for sledding, so my kids that are still young in heart are packing down the snow for good sledding paths.  I also got my old snowboard down.

Ian went snowboarding with some friends after Christmas; I'm sure boarding on our driveway won't be the same. My vaulter is enjoying the ride though.

National Weather Service is forecasting the next system to start in a few hours.  I have plenty of time to fill the buckets and get the laundry caught up, right?