Week of Snow & Ice

So - that first snow has turned into a week of snow and now a crust of ice sits on top of all of it. I worked from home all week. Venturing out from time to time for food or to shop. Last Sunday we got a couple of inches. Then Monday and Tuesday were clear blue skies - and frigid temperatures. 16 on Tuesday. On Wednesday more snow came - about 3", but it also warmed up a bit and we started to have some melting. Thursday and Friday were colder - and somewhere in there we had a couple more inches of snow. Yesterday is when it really got crazy. It didn't stop snowing all day. Literally did not stop. Last night when letting pippin out around 11pm - there was about 10" - maybe even a foot in the back yard. The drifts were much bigger. Then overnight the freezing rain arrived. So now the snow has 1/4"-1/2" of ice sitting atop it.

Church is canceled again - last week too. It is weird. All of our Christmas programs, and my Joyful Noise Christmas Concert have been canceled. Kind of sad. On one hand the snow really makes it feel Christmas-y, but not going to church and not singing beautiful Christmas music is making a big void.

Christy and I have been walking the dogs (3 - since Christy is dog sitting for a friend) all week. Yesterday it was quite a workout plodding through the deep snow. I don't think we'll walk today. The ice really upset Pippin this morning. After breaking through it once he wouldn't walk on it anymore. I had to go out in my wellies and tromp across the back yard - back and forth until most of it was a mix of soft snow and crunchy ice. Then he could find a way to feel better. Although when he got to the edges of where I broke out the ice - he would get frustrated with the boundary and bark at the ice. Poor guy. So a walk would be completely non-productive. Pippin would just follow me around in my footsteps that got rid of the ice surface.

Now Christmas is nearly here. Dan and Genny spent the night on Friday on their way to LA for Christmas. We had a yummy Costa Vida dinner and a good time talking. They drove out on Saturday morning in the crazy snow - but were able to get out of Oregon before the passes got nuts.

At the same time, Rachel was driving from Boise to the bay area. She flew out of PDX on Thursday - her flight was delayed a bit, and she left her coat at the gate in the airport - but she made it. She is helping some friends move to Hollister. She'll be spending Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's. Christy is leaving on Tuesday to help a friend drive to Arizona. Well, she is getting dropped off at Grandma's - so she is helping drive part of the way. She'll also be Christmasing at Grandma's. So the Foulger Christmas in Oregon will be small. Just mom, dad, Kathy & I. And Aunt Sue - if her flight tomorrow night isn't canceled. We'll miss Rachel and Christy. Pulsar will be spending the week with me and Pip.

So now I just await packages from Amazon - arriving from many spots across the country. We'll see if the weather makes them too late for Christmas. Hopefully not.

Here are some pictures of the storm this week.

Here is the snowfall from Wednesday - looking out across the neighborhood (towards Christy's house).

Bundled up walking the dogs on Wednesday.

Last night Pip was dressed up in his sweater. Jumping around in the snow that was past his elbows. The snow was still falling.

Christy and I went out for a couple of errands. Here are the big ruts in the driveway once I got home. And it was still snowing.

In the middle of the night Pip needed to pee - but wouldn't I went out and dug out a hole in the snow. He still wouldn't. He just stood at the door wanting to come in from the cold.

Here is the layer of us that we woke up to this morning.
And here is the backyard once I had stomped around. Finally Pip could go to the bathroom.Here is the house from across the street.
And looking down the road.