The power keeps bumping along but at least we have lights

Well we have worked our way into the defrost, melting phase of the snow event and it is also proving to be interesting. The power was on and off so many times last night, during the night especially. You finally just unplug all the sensitive items and go to bed.

Here are more snow pictures in case you are interested in the status today...frankly I am getting really bored with it and anxious to finally break out.

Perhaps part of my frustration I have just realized is that I miss driving. We have been hold up here in the house now for two weeks...and prior to that I have not driven since before my surgery which was Nov 13th.

Patience is a virtue and I am trying to be virtuous but feel like everything is on hold. The Christmas tree is still up with packages under it. It just won't seem like we have had Christmas until we finally can brave that 10 miles to Cindy's house (or them to ours) to do our gift exchange...it is always so much fun watching the kids try to hold back on ripping open the packages and then their reaction to the gift itself.

This morning we woke up with a hungry "friend" on our door step. It was a full size deer...snacking on the arborvitae nearest to our front door. When I first spotted her I saw her head, ears and body and it looked as though she had fallen into the 6 foot snow drift there. Gary got his boots and jacket on to rescue her but as soon as the door was open she stood up on top of the snow and walked off. She had already eated the shrub down to the level of the snow and was sitting there chewing the last bits as though she was waiting for it to grow back and provide her with more food.

Quite a sight but it will have to be left for your imagination as my camera was not fast enough to catch her before Gary scared her off.

Prolonged Power Outage

Cindy here posting for Mom & Dad...

They would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas...

Their power went out last night (Christmas eve) around 7pm and has been out ever since.

Apparently the outage is caused by trees on the lines that run up and over a wooded area & there were crews trying to repair it using snowmobiles to try to get to the damaged areas, but after working the better part of the day on it and seeing tree after tree fall around them, they have called it quits and said "let us know when the conditions improve, sorry but we have to go work on other areas where we can get access safely."

The community Mom & Dad live in up there is great, everyone is helping everyone else out - when someone goes to town (Woodland) they make the rounds to collect gas cans and get everyone fuel (for generators). And they are all checking on each other for anything they may be able to help each other out with.

That's it for now, hopefully Mom will be back and running soon and post something herself about the adventure of the Christmas of 2008 - Whiter than white can be with snow!

Peace on Earth - Or at least in your life !

Our sweet little Misty definitely knows how to relax and I wanted to share these peaceful shots of her.

We may be snowed in, have the turmoil and uncertainty of the economy, world conflicts, etc, etc...but when all is said and done...on this Christmas, if we are warm, well and comfortable, enjoying the love of our family and friends as well as the love of God, then we are truely blessed and should appreciate it as such.

Blessings to all...stay safe!

Linda

John Deere NEVER sleeps

I know it is a "guy thing" but this guy just never rests. I have had the neighbors call to tell me to tell him to "cut it out" as they are worried about him out shoveling snow. Don Stuart even called last night and I just let him talk to Gary direct in the hopes that he may be able to say something that will not come across as "nagging". Not sure it worked but at least Gary knows they care and hopefully will take it to heart...literally.

Remember the sweet bird bath out my office window?

Here is a picture of that bird bath as it started to accumulate snow on it and then the picture taken today of the snow berm outside completely covering it and extending 1 /3 the way up the window.

Accumulations around the house continue to amaze us

These were all taken from the front door...note the fence rails starting to disappear in the snow. I will remember that reference point so I can measure after the snow retreats and know after the fact how deep the snow really was out there. Those lower fence rails are placed unusually high above the ground so I am thinking it is a good 30 inches plus out there.

Christmas Eve tries piles more snow on the shop

So we woke up this morning to another 6 inches of new snow with more falling continually. The power has been on and off. These are pictures around the shop. NOte the path to the shop was shoveled clean last night.

Finally no longer trapped

Living on a helipad has its advantages. Evidently they had an aid call the night of the 22nd and needed to air lift them but could not because of the road conditions around and on the helipad. One of the volunteer chiefs chased down this big yellow road grader and brought him and a sander/plow in to do a royal clean up job on the helipad.

After that was done, Rob Dore (pastor at the church) brought over his son and helped Gary dig our tractor out of its little shed. The not only got it out the door but turned around so he could dig a path and get it around the big shop to our main driveway.

Tom Slama came over with his tractor and started working from the helipad cutting a road into us while Gary worked his way out. Finally, after night fall, we had the driveway cleared enough to be able to put John Deere into the big shop and also potentially get the chained up Jeep out of the house garage. It feels so good not to be "trapped" any more.

Update for John and Nancy Howard

Gary specifically visited your house yesterday and found everything in order.
These two pictures are all we saw of it today. It appears that the shop roof is handling the snow fine and it has already slid off. We will make sure to visit it in person again in the next few days once it is more feasible to get there.

Revisiting the dog statue out on the front porch

One picture is the one from 12 19 when we were seeing the dog statue being covered partially....well now the second picture which just looks like a drift with nothing in it...that is where the dog statue sits. Also the bird bath also pictured on 12 19 is not totally engulfed in a drift.

More pictures from a snowy Sunday in doors

The bottom picture is our front walkway...totally covered in what I would estimate is a 5 foot snow drift. Don't try coming to our front door any time soon!

Another picture is a view towards the church and another shows how the fence rails are disappearing under the level of the snow.

Checking out the status of the work shop

Drifting snow is about 36 inches up the roll up door on the shop. The man door also had a small drift and the snow on the sides are up to the windows. Interesting sight when you realize the snow and blown into and partially filled the screens on the windows as well.

The path Gary walked out to the shop had been shoveled yesterday. The new snow had blown off of it and it was a literaly sheet of ice from the freezing rain.

Snow updates for December 21st

I have totally lost track of how many inches have fallen and gauging how many are standing is impossible with the drifting snow. The wind started late yesterday and has blown hard ever since...this set of pictures today will show the results.

All doors on the house have snow blown against them so much that they leave a small wall of snow when you open them...and these are covered doors under cover. I knew the garage door was drifted as well as there was snow that had blown in on both sides of the door...So here are the pictures of what we had when we opened the house garage door.

Our neighbors the Howards will see these pictures and realize how much fun they are missing out on

Lots of neighbors to help out

One of the church members has a saw mill down the road. He came by with some of his equipment specifically to help out Elva and Judy at the end of the road by plowing out their road for them. Gary had worked on it a bit but it was great to have someone else share in the work.

More taken today the 19th

December 19th The lull between storms

Again we return to the dog statue (bottom of the picture) which hardly looks like a dog any more. Here you can see the additonal 6 to 8 inches of snow on. Also interesting is my bird bath which sits outside the office window...looks like a construction hat on top of it but that is all snow accumulation.

December 17th Not the first day of snow...but the first day I thought to capture it in pictures

I am still recovering from knee surgery so any extensive snow walking is not in my routine yet. Consequently you will see most of these taken from the porches on the house.
We have a concrete dog statue out front and it seemed to be a good gauge for the snowfall comparison...I also got really technical and pushed a ruler in the snow next to it to show the 9 inch snow fall most of which fell on the 16th and 17th.