On our first snow day, it was like summer–only with snow!
We slept in late, then went outside to play.
Despite cold noses and red cheeks, we enjoyed snowball fights,
finding and uncovering (then re-covering) the drains,
and making snow angels in the middle of the street.
The next day, while we were excited to be out of school, we were sad trees that used to be upright were now lying down on the ground.
All the trees were covered with about an inch of ice.
The power had been out since early that morning, which necessitated a lot of barking on my part. (“Close the door! You’re letting out the heat!” “Close the fridge! You’re letting out the cold!”)
Though it looks amazingly beautiful, it is also amazingly destructive.
Trees and branches were down all over town. The sight of fresh scars marking tree after tree was sad and frightening. My car was also completely encased in ice, but I hadn’t wanted to drive anywhere. Too many big trees line the roads.
This is my house. Notice the trees behind it. I shiver now a little bit just remembering. I’ve read books before about the way trees breaking sounds like a gunshot. I (oh so thankfully) didn’t hear any cracks from those giants behind my home, but every crash as snow was displaced made me a bit jumpy.
The kids stayed in and we hunkered down, enjoying hot water and the fireplace, as well as candles. (In my opinion, the candles were enjoyed a little too much by my children, as is evidenced by the plate covered in wax, which happened while the kids were “helping” keep the candles lit.)
Our power was restored after another half day.
I’m so grateful for warmth! I’m so grateful for ovens to make food hot! I’m so grateful for friends who checked up on me and brought me hot food, despite the treacherous conditions.
The temperature has finally warmed up enough that most of the snow has melted, but there are still people without power. In fact, church today has been moved to a different building because ours is still powerless.
Unfortunately for me, they still want me to speak. You can’t win ‘em all.
Fingers crossed for school to be in session tomorrow. We’ve just about run out of things to do and are ready to turn on each other like a pack of wolves, but I trust it won’t go that far.
Hopefully.
Hahahahaha! I love how your ended this post! So true! So true! By-the-way it DOES sound like a gunshot. Until it hits the ground. Then it’s a huge crash. Yes I know from experience:(. Luckily they weren’t falling on my house. Not so lucky for the neighbors. I’m glad it’s melted now:)
Wendy,
I’m glad you got pictures of this week. It looked the same near the Puget Sound and although we didn’t hear the cracking of trees close by, 320th (a main thourofare for those out of the area) looked like a battle zone for a day or two with trees down on both sides of the street. We slept under every blanket in the house while the kids visited a friend with a generator for a slumber party of sorts.
Winter is beautiful but deadly if you are a tree in the Puget Sound area or unprepared!
I had never heard that about the trees sounding like gunshots. I had heard “shots” coming from the next street and couldn’t figure out why someone would be shooting the snow out of the trees, then I realized it was trees falling. da
holy cow – and here we sit in Boston without an ounce of snow. It has been the weirdest winter – we’ve received 7″ of snowfall this season and last year at this time we were at 80″. I can’t believe how beautiful and destructive that storm was. Has it stayed or since melted? I’m glad you have awesome friends who brought you food. that makes me feel happy. Love ya.