Storm!

The weather has become entertaining. Everyone was all worked up about the incoming storm, but I went to Meade anyway. However I did leave a couple of hours early and had heavy snow for the last five miles home. And it snowed. It was pretty, and soft and dry and gentle and there was a lot of it. I haven't heard numbers but I would say 6 inches with drifts up to a foot. I kept going out and watching, because I have been away so long it was like the first time, and I swept the ramp every couple of hours until I went to bed.

Woke up to a winter wonderland. And a lot of work.

Spent the day sweeping and shoveling as it kept snowing lightly until afternoon.

Next morning the shoveling got serious but I forged my way onward. Only after I got to the bottom of the ramp did it occur to me that I could have gone out the back door directly to the driveway. But... I am glad that I got the ramp clear, as it is a lot easier to come and go that way.

Then on to the driveway! worked my way around the car and was able to get in. Had cleared the drifts behind the car so was able to back up and back and up and back until I reached the tracks where Dirk had come through with the big truck. Then I discovered that there were drifts across the gate, so had to shovel those too, and the ones at the road gate by the mailbox. Finally by noon, I was on my way to Meade.

See my little car under all that big snow? When I drove to Meade, I cleared a bunch off, but when I went out to the parking lot, there was a huge pile in front of and in back of the car that slid off in the sunshine.
For those of you who know the farm, this is looking down the hill from the back porch. The hill doesn't seem to exist. Snow filled in the low part.
Just a nice picture of the front yard.
Sorry, just too cute!
Lovey contemplates an adventure in the snow. And he got it. Didn't come in and ended up spending the night in the chicken house. Wouldn't walk across the snow until I started working my way out to him.

Everyone looking for Lovey!

Lovey braving the elements.

Moonrise over the front yard.
Morning of the second day.
Looks like everyone came out to check the snow.
Look! I made it all the way to the driveway!

Earthquake?

Begininng to wonder if California will still be there when I'm ready to return!

Bad Daughter

I'm a bad daughter. Today I woke up with a headache, runny nose and cough. I decided to stay home and not contaminate, so I called the home and told them I wasn't coming in. But as the morning went on, I began to feel better and decided that maybe my malingering had to do with the fly-in at the Beaver Airport today. So ...

I hopped into my trusty Buick and headed toward Beaver (population 1300). Thought I knew where the airport was but no! Drove through town and found the sign that said airport that way, followed the road for about 5 miles and gave up, turned around and went back to town, turned around and ... and around ... and finally saw a plane landing, followed it and lo and behold! The airport! (I know, run-on sentence, but it was a run-on experience)

But there was the fly-in and yay! one old plane showed up, a Cessna C35. The P51s didn't show just because it was 5 degrees on the field, with wind.

I discovered that my Badz Maru fleece gloves don't prevent frostbite. So I went into the airport waiting room to warm up.

The Waiting Room

The heating/airconditioning system

But the fly-in was really sponsored by the experimental aircraft bunch so the little buggers appeared like crazy, with one of them landing about every 5 minutes.

I left at noon and there were probably 35 planes there, and for some reason an Aston Martin and a Jaguar.

Winter!

Winter can be cold! And freezing fog is something new to me. No snow, but every plant looks like it has been flocked. The weather is hanging around zero and the wind chill makes it -10 to -15. I try not to go outside unless it is necessary. Every time I drive that 15 miles of dirt road with no telephone reception, I think about what I am going to do if for some reason the car decides to stop, especially if it is after dark. Which it often is since my mother has discovered she can get me to stay longer if she acts hungry because I will stay to help with supper. The road is the road less traveled, in fact, hardly traveled as I often don't see anyone else from the time I leave Meade til I get home 42 miles later. Feeling very pioneer.