Groundhog day

The local ground hog found blowing snow today. He asked himself, if one should not fly the flag in the rain, what are the rules for snow? Just asking. It is a pretty flag, and it just shook off all the snow.Over at lodge 1, the weather was no better. Of course the snow does not show on white cars. Blue cars tell a more vivid story.
The son did come out, and I did see my Shadow, but I did not take a picture of her. His sister does not approve of the new hairstyle, which makes it that much more attractive to a boy.I am hoping I can send them both back to their respective schools on Monday. If homeschool was my choice, I would never have sent them off in the first place, and I would have curriculum ready for weeks at home.

They are still home

We have had a couple of inches of snow since the weekend storm. That was a big one, dumping over a foot of snow all over my fair city and its environs. I think the big one is why I am keeping my kids close this week. Nobody has been able to dig out the snowplows and open the roads, or something. Actually they have done a pretty good job on the "arterials," leaving the neighborhoods to fend for themselves. I made it out and back a couple of times in my little Fit yesterday. It was interesting, but manageable.

My sister across the state sent her kids back on their rounds yesterday, except for the one who is visiting the land of In-N-Out Burgers. Mine are still home. We have been watching lots of movies, catching up on sleep, and after yesterday's trip to the library, catching up on reading. I am glad the library is open. I have never seen so many cars in their parking lot. Last week was finals week at the high school, so my girl is completely free from homework. My boy had to read 20 pages for his weekend homework. If he stays home much longer, he will have read 20 books.

I take my Shadow for a couple of walks every day too. She does not think snow is an excuse to stay in, she likes to go out and play in it. meanwhile, we keep looking at the immitation Himalayas in the front yard and wonder when school starts for the Spring.

What a real snow day looks like

The local school district finally found enough snow on the doorstep to let the kids stay home. This is what the backyard looks like on a snow day.Over there on the other side of the state, they have at least an inch, which melted as soon as the sun hit it, and they are staying home too. This is what the backyard looks like when it is not a snow day. I do not see much difference.We are obviously tougher than they are when it comes to driving in the snow. The golden bear is happy out there below the icicles.
Snow piled higher than a 10 year old is tall, might be a clue that there is enough to stay home. Notice the blue sky? I thought it might be snowing on a snow day. Today we have a forecast for an inch or two, but I would think that they could have plowed out the parking lots like we did to the driveway yesterday and find a place for the busses to park.I have seen the bus drive down this street when there was more snow on it that this. What are they so afraid of? I hope we do not get the promised two inches tonight, or I might get to keep the kids again tomorow. The trouble is that we pay for it in June with extra days of school.

Another race day

We went to 49 Degrees North yesterday for a race, amid warnings from the Washington Department of Transportation to stay off the road if it was not an emergency. There were lots of skiers and snowboarders there who had the same definition of emergency that we did. My geographically astute sister pointed out that if we were really at 49 Degrees North, one more step and we would need a passport. We were really at 48 degrees and change, but that did not fit in the window.

Toward the end of the day, I went out and took a couple of shots looking back at the lodge. I like the piles of snow on the ends of the beams.When I use the flash, you can see the snowflakes as well as I can.Then after all the races, I have to find my car again. It is easier if the guys with the 4x4 trucks park in another lot than I do.She was still there, waiting in the canyon. I put the wipers up, so they would not freeze on to the windshield. They still collected sufficient ice to function poorly on the way home through ice and snow. I could see enough to know where the road was.

We made it home safely, and now my little fit is warming and melting in the garage.

It only gets worse

I thought it was cold when we were down to the teens.Then I thought single digits were breathtaking. Literally. I wear a face warmer to help me breathe when I walk my Shadow.

Then I decided this morning that the little minus sign on the digital thermometer was not really necessary at all.

Whatever the temperature outside is, there is fur on the inside of the window frames. I have seen that before, but ice forming on the inside of double pane windows?

I am glad we have the new furnace. I will try to remember what cold feels like when July comes. I think all the snow might be melted by then. Maybe.