Like I Have Time For This?

Haven’t seen snow like this since the morning we flew out of Denver to move here three years ago.

Here’s a shot of the first storm we got about four days ago:

Notice how accessible and visible my mailbox is? Yeah… haven’t seen that thing all day long. Mail service is suspended anyway.

Now here’s some shots of what it looked like here earlier this morning. BEFORE the blizzard proper actually began:

That’s my 6-year-old’s snowman. She built it yesterday afternoon. Half of it’s buried underneath last night’s snowfall. We went out again for a while today, during a lull in the storm, before the real blizzard started, to get a little fresh air. The puppy messed around in some snow drifts and tired herself out nicely. But now, after several hours of actual blizzard, she can’t even leap herself out of the drifts anymore. So, we tramp down little runs for her so she can find her bathroom and then we hurry her back into the house.

And here’s what it looked like at about 4:00 this afternoon, when I went out again, to shovel out the driveway, so that RegularDad might have a fighting chance of pulling his car in:

Technically, those steps are part of my front walkway there. I’d just finished shoveling it clear. Honest.

That right there is my driveway. See the two giant piles of snow? Yeah, that was a wall of icky snow mixed with road salt blocking the whole driveway when I went out there to start shoveling. I’d gotten maybe a tenth of it done, when out of nowhere a plow truck came along and the guy driving it gave me a big smile and then plowed the whole mess off to the side for me. Dude… whoever you are… you ROCK. Thanks.

By the way, my mailbox is now buried under that pile of snow on the right. You can’t see it, but it’s there.

Of course, not five minutes after that dude who plowed my driveway for me drove off, another plow came along and started a whole new wall of slush across the driveway. I could have cried right there. But instead I just plodded on back to the house for my shovel.

But just as I was reaching for it, RegularDad’s car appeared and he rolled right over the new wall and up the driveway and parked with no problem.

Because the gods are kind like that, I guess.

The best part of a blizzard is seeing your husband arrive safely home, isn’t it?

I made beef and barley soup for dinner. Because it’s his favorite. After he ate it, he went right back out to shovel more snow. He was out there for over an hour, and just as he finished, a neighbor came walking by and said: “hey man, you want to borrow my snow blower?”

Note to self: get RegularDad a snow blower for his next birthday.

We’re staying warm in here. Hope you are, too.