marveling at moss: February 2011

Late last week, the weather people starting forecasting a "blizzard" on track to arrive in our area mid-week. I, of course, responded how I usually do when watching the news: "They are such sensationalizing fools. I mean, seriously, what's up with all the Stormageddon talk all the time? As if we even get good snow anymore. I mean, really, watch. Another 4 inches at best."

But then the weather people kept showing this photo of the storm as seen from outer space. And it pretty much covered up two-thirds of the continental U.S. And then I began to wonder if this time, just this once, they weren't being but half the sensationalizing fools they usually are. Perhaps we would see half the amount they predicted, a respectable 10-12 inches?

Enter BLIZZARD. Oh blizzard, I should not have doubted your massive ways. Indeed, you were a blizzard of historic proportions. The wind, blowing the light and fluffy snow with such force it was hard to tell if it was snowing or blowing or both. The howling, 30-50 mile per hour gusts causing the water in our toilets to ripple. And lightning and thunder...with a snow storm?!?! Snow piling up at 2-3 inches per hour. Oh, blizzard, to think I ever doubted you. You were, dare I say it, sensational.

So we woke up Wednesday morning to a TV screen full of some 1700 closures and strict warnings to stay off the roads. SNOW DAY! (As an FYI, snow days are just as exciting to me now as they were in 3rd grade.) So, we got 18-20 inches. And Dan spent the good part of Wednesday, a good 6 hours, snow-blowing us and several neighbors out. Small city lots and tremendous amounts of snow make for some enormously tall mountains.

So as Dan and the other neighbors worked to clear us out, they got to talking. And our neighbor Rob, an enthusiastic and fun fellow to say the least, thought since we were all stuck at home we should have a block party. Outside. In the snow. With a bonfire. In the city. (Needless to say, Nedy was all for it and charged out of the house like...well, like a bolt of snow thunder.)

And so it was. All day long. From 11:00am until 5:00pm, the bonfire burned, the neighbors chatted and caught up, drank hot cider (among other things...), ate chili (plugged in outside, mind you) and generally played the 20 degree day away.