February Sunshine

Good news everyone! Our robot can now spin in an expanding spiral pattern, an expanding box pattern, and has a rudimentary Ultra Sonic sensor seeking program, too. Our contest is on Thursday, and I think we are going to do just fine. It knocked over the targets today at practice, but it also ran into a wall twice, picked up and carried off my Spanish Dictionary, and the arm fell off once. We are so close!

I should be pruning the fruit trees this time of year, but the bottom branches are stuck in a foot of solid snow/ice. I tried to pry a pear branch free, but it wouldn't budge, and I was afraid I might break it. But look at what the February sunshine uncovered yesterday:

O9 and Oh my Head Hurts

Have you ever tried to explain to an 87 year old woman with dementia that her Medicare Part D plan has changed and you can't deliver her medicine unless she gives you her new information?

Yeah, that's been my start to 2009. I've worked 6 out of the last 8 days, mostly 9 hour days, and I'm beat. I've also spent my 2 days off working on essays for a scholarship and my entrance essay for the Huxley College of the Environment at WWU, and catching up on laundry.

Today is the beginning of a whole two days off in a row, and I'm going shopping. I have some Christmas money to burn and Joe's end of the year sale is calling my name. Let's see, Lady Carharts, hmmm, new hiking boots, snow shoes. Just kidding about the last one, but they would be practical right now.

Speaking of wild storms, it's supposed to warm up to almost 50 on Wednesday along with heavy rain in the foothills. This could be really serious, since we are at 500 feet in elevation, and the snow level is supposed to go all the way up to 3 or 4,000 feet. We still have over 2 feet of snow on the ground, here, so the creeks and rivers will be flooding. My only way home if the highway closes for flooding is also closed for avalanche and mudslide danger.

The good news about the snow is that it seemed to have insulated the fruit trees, and they have sprouted some gnarly growth knobs for spring. Mmmm...apples, and pears, and plums. Oh my.

Doin' Alright

Jusst want everyone to know we are okay. We lost power around 11pm right when the blizzard hit. There was only about 5 inches in the storm, but there are drifts in our yard that go up to my waist now.

We went into town today, and saw farms on the prarie where the wind swept the field clear of snow - right up to the roofs of some smaller barns. After shoveling daily for the last 4 days, we decided to chance it and start up the Escape to see if we could just drive over the 5 inches and the drifts in the driveway. We didn't get stuck at all! So then, we were testing the limits of the "Smart 4WD" such as taking sharp corners in the parking lots, skid stopping, you know all the things your parents and insurance agents forbid you to do, but in your 30's you can afford to try. I have to give Ford a lot of credit - the 4WD is very smart!

I haven't been in a blizzard since I was a kid, and had forgotten how the wind constantly howled. Needless to say, between the wind, the 2 feet of snow sliding off the roof, and nothing to drown out the little dog's snoring, I didn't get much sleep last night.

Our pipes and the neighbors' pipes have been frozen since yesterday, and we all just got power. I'm going to have to go into town to shower for the next few days because the temp's not supposed to get above freezing until the day after Christmas. We're supposed to get another 4 inches of snow tonight, and another 3 tomorrow. That will make almost 3 feet in 5 days!

Well it's off to boil more snow so we can flush the toilets. Nothing like mountain living!

Am I in Michigan or Washington?

I have to shout out - snow plow drivers absolutely rock!

So we ended up with 26 inches of snow which is now solid ice. We actually got down to 0 last night and right now it is 8 degrees. I have to brag that the Escape Hybrid got me to work in the worst conditions I've ever driven in - I only slid a few times, but I'm sure that's because I had absolutely no weight in the back of the car, and the snow/ice pack on the road is thick. I don't know how my dad lived in Michigan for so long - this weather is sooooo cold!

The hubby dug us out of the driveway, I kept up with snow removal from the cars and walkways, and then we took the time to construct a mini half-pipe down our sledding hill. I got so much snow in my face, boots, and sled the first few times before the snow was packed down, but then it was smooth (and fast) sailing down the drop. I'm sure you could go really fast today with all the ice, but knowing my luck I'd probably impail myself with a branch or something trying to be a daredevil.

Today we are in the Don't Know Zone for the severe winter storm rolling in. We are not included in the high wind foothill zone, or in the massive snow accumulation zone, but are in an area between both, which they will say nothing about. Now, I've finally realized that the "Convergence Zone" in our county is PNW weatherman speak for "the hell if we know," but come on! You can't tell us anything to expect?! I'll tell you what to do with you Doppler computer model. Jerks!

Oh well, the generator is prepared for whichever part of the disaster Mamma Nature wants to throw our way. Although, if it counts for anything, I'd rather not have 90mph winds come from the East. Uh oh - I see the breeze picking up and blowing the trees the wrong way (Easterly winds are very rare here). I have a feeling we're in for a mess.