Well, that was invigorating (read: Ow!)
Yesterday was staying in, reading, baking cookies, watching the snow. Today was the exercise to make up for the cookies.
Victory! We got the walk and the driveway cleared. Without benefit of a snowblower or plow. And we've figured the routes that (today) are clear enough to travel where we need to go. In other words, ow. I am going to be so sore tomorrow.
It's a beautiful sunny day today, and the mountains are particularly picturesque with the snow and the blue sky and the clouds. I might have pictures later.
Geo and I have come to the conclusion that the Commonwealth of Virginia has no friggin' clue how to deal with snow. Seriously. We've had I don't know how many pieces of farm equipment with snow blades, plus at least one real snowplow, zip up and down our road today, and there are still portions that are impassible if you don't have a heavy vehicle or 4-wheel drive. (I really miss my Ford Tempo in this kind of weather.) Only one lane on Rt 29 was clear, and not completely.
The headlines are calling this the Blizzard of '09! But there were no high winds, no "storm" conditions in our area. To me, this was just a really heavy snowfall. Back in Ohio, people die during blizzards. They freeze to death in their homes when they lose heat, or die trying to shovel themselves out. I haven't gone looking for any such statistics here, and I know a lot of people were stranded in various places and they had shelters set up and stuff. And I am so thankful for our warm house and our full pantry. And I'm sure folks in the rural areas where self-sufficiency is a must are more prepared for these types of unusual circumstances. But to me, this was not a blizzard. Snow storm, maybe. But calling it a "blizzard" seems kind of extreme.
However, I am considering investing in a new pair of winter boots. I can't find my old ones ("oh, you won't need them in Virginia"), but now knowing that this kind of weather is possible, I'm thinking it would be a good idea.
Victory! We got the walk and the driveway cleared. Without benefit of a snowblower or plow. And we've figured the routes that (today) are clear enough to travel where we need to go. In other words, ow. I am going to be so sore tomorrow.
It's a beautiful sunny day today, and the mountains are particularly picturesque with the snow and the blue sky and the clouds. I might have pictures later.
Geo and I have come to the conclusion that the Commonwealth of Virginia has no friggin' clue how to deal with snow. Seriously. We've had I don't know how many pieces of farm equipment with snow blades, plus at least one real snowplow, zip up and down our road today, and there are still portions that are impassible if you don't have a heavy vehicle or 4-wheel drive. (I really miss my Ford Tempo in this kind of weather.) Only one lane on Rt 29 was clear, and not completely.
The headlines are calling this the Blizzard of '09! But there were no high winds, no "storm" conditions in our area. To me, this was just a really heavy snowfall. Back in Ohio, people die during blizzards. They freeze to death in their homes when they lose heat, or die trying to shovel themselves out. I haven't gone looking for any such statistics here, and I know a lot of people were stranded in various places and they had shelters set up and stuff. And I am so thankful for our warm house and our full pantry. And I'm sure folks in the rural areas where self-sufficiency is a must are more prepared for these types of unusual circumstances. But to me, this was not a blizzard. Snow storm, maybe. But calling it a "blizzard" seems kind of extreme.
However, I am considering investing in a new pair of winter boots. I can't find my old ones ("oh, you won't need them in Virginia"), but now knowing that this kind of weather is possible, I'm thinking it would be a good idea.