SNOW DAY.

This is how it looked when we got up last Monday (January 3rd).  The weather has been mild for this time of the year, and we have been able to keep the windows open.  It was 50 degrees F. the day before.  I am looking at the weather through the screens.

We still have the Christmas trees up.  I enjoy them for as long as I can and traditionally take them down on 12th night.  

I have had that little artificial tree for more years than I can remember.  I keep saying we should replace it, but I'm rather attached.  Sentimentality may play a part.

Anyhow, according to our local weather people, we had more than 14 inches in some areas.  Ours was more like ten.  

It started snowing around 3.00 a.m., dropping three to four inches each hour, and stopping in the afternoon at approximately 3.00 p.m. 

That is when the skies began to clear, and the sun started shining.  

It certainly was more snow than we have had in over two years.  Ten years ago, my dear other half was driving home (this being long before his retirement), and it took him 11 hours to drive 12 miles.  On Monday people were stuck on the roads again and it took some almost 15 hours to get home.  

Another time we had visited family at Christmas and, hoping to get home before the expected snow, it took us by surprise.  We couldn't even get off the freeway to find a hotel overnight.  Many of the exits had cars stuck on them, and there were a few trucks that had jackknifed with their cargo. We also passed several cars in ditches. We were at a crawl, driving ten miles an hour down the freeway.  Thank goodness the windscreen wipers kept going, even though they were having a hard time keeping the front window clear.  

 I remember it vividly.  The journey was a nightmare!  On reflection we should have stayed down south one more night.  Foresight is a good thing!  Foresight was missing obviously, and we were hoping the roads would have been kept clear.  But it took everyone by surprise, and we were young.  It took over ten hours to reach our home.  Do you have any snow stories you would like to share?

During and after this snowstorm, half a million people were without electricity.  This was on Monday (1-3-22).  We were fortunate but are still keeping our fingers crossed.  It was 19 degrees F. last night, 15 degrees F. tonight.  We are being told to stay off the roads as it is not going to melt for a while, and roads will be icy.  

Added note: I just read a story about a trucker on I-95 who offered a hot bowl of food and a drink to a man in his car with his mother.  He had brought a three-day supply of his own food to eat on the road, and what he gave away was his 2nd day meal, a Jimmy Dean bacon, egg and cheese breakfast bowl that he heated up in his microwave, and a cup of fruit punch.  At that point he and these people in the other lane ahead of him, had been stuck in place for 7 hours.  Does the heart good to hear stories like that.  There are good people out there.

A Dark-eyed Junco took me by surprise.  As sometimes happens when I look on a larger screen after downloading to my laptop, there it was.  I also noticed this morning when I went outside, another Junco stayed at the feeding station.  They usually fly away but this one's head turned in my direction and he continued to eat for several minutes.  It didn't leave until several minutes after I had gone inside.  The other species of birds fly away immediately. 

As usually happens I have more photos, but I will put them in a separate post.  

My last photo is of a few of my teddy bears. Only part of my collection, they come out every year at this time.  The throw rug and pillow were a gift from my son and daughter-in-law a few years' ago. I love them, not only for the fact that they are pretty and festive, and have wonderful sentiments, but more because of who gave them to me.   

Safe travels to those who have no other choice but to be on the road, and I hope our family, friends and blogging friends are safe out there.