Saturday, December 20, 2008

Just Another Snow Day - Updated

Sunday Morning, 9 a.m.


Snow stopped, and we had some freezing rain, so on top of five or six inches of powder here in beautiful Beaverton, we now have between a quarter inch of ice crusting. Step onto it, it goes crunch as it breaks and you sink into the snow below.

Dogs went out to back pee, they looked like little icebreakers. Should make for an interesting walk.

(Note: It did. Dogs were breaking through and scrabbling so much that, for the first time ever, they decided to walk behind me. We didn't go far. Streets mostly empty. I saw a chained bus and three cars, three other people. All the local churches have cancelled services this a.m., much of the city and tricounty area are shut down, and chains are required almost everywhere. Rite-Aid is closed, Safeway is apparently open.)

Now how much would you pay ...?


(Below: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
 Six inches of snow on the ground, still coming down, and Happy Solstice ...



Cabin fever, anyone?
Below, 4 p.m. Saturday


Below, 8 a.m. Saturday


Saturday morning we got up to twenty-eight degrees and snowing lightly here. Given that the forecast doesn't show the temperature going much above freezing for the next week, and even though after today there isn't supposed to be any more precipitation for a while, probably we'll still have some snow left on Thursday, so it'll be a partially-white Christmas here.

Or not.

Either way, we've had more snow this year than in a long time, and a cold snap that has lasted longer than any I can recall.

Happy holidays, and remember what Roger Zelazny said:

From Creatures of Light and Darkness, circa 1969:

"Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not forgiveness but something else may be required to insure any possible benefit for which you may be eligible after the destruction of your body, I ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your receiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen."

4 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. We ended up with around 10". Not a big deal but it was coming down at over 1"/hour which makes it hard for the plows to keep up. All the schools were closed so thankfully traffic was light on the way to work yesterday. Just me and a bunch of fools who shouldn't be on the road. Stopped by 2PM but sure enough all the fools were out at the malls getting stuck by then in the parking lots.
    Supposed to start up again tomorrow so hopefully it won't interupt the trip to Mushtaq's for gift giving.

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  3. I see you got rid of the comment spam, good move...

    I went out this morning and the bottom half of our steps had been replaced by a beautiful, smooth, curvy ice ramp over a delicate fluffy snow meringue. I swear it was like shoveling creme brulee, only less soggy.

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  4. Yeah, I cleared a path from the front door to the gate, and then a bit up the driveway, and realized that if we got freezing rain -- and the air temperature here is currently 23 F. so if it rains, it will freeze -- that the new path would be more dangerous. Breaking through the crusted snow is one thing -- ice on concrete is another ...

    I expect they are sold out, but maybe I'll walk over to the Safeway and see if they have any rock or kosher salt.

    Had to pull the hummingbird feeder in twice this morning to thaw it out.

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