the big snow

Last Tuesday it started snowing.

 This was the back yard when I got home from putting the 'paper to bed at 5pm.

 This was State Road 119 as I drove to Rachel's house at 6pm.  (Don't worry I was stopped when I took this picture - there was a car off the road in front of the car in front of me.)

After a stop to chat with Beth along the way I finally made it to Rachel's around 8pm.  There were at least 5 cars off the road along the way.  I freaked out a little, I was too far there to turn back.  When I started to panic about the state of the roads I said, "Sharon, you've driven in the Arctic on ice-covered non roads with a toddler in the back seat, you can handle this."  So I drove like they drive in the Arctic - no more than 10 miles per hour and expected the slide offs.  Within a mile of Rachel's house I slide around the road the whole time and saw three of those five slide-offs.  It didn't help that while I was visiting with Beth my phone decided to have a seizure and not work.  Bad weather and no phone.

The only person more relieved that I made it to Rachel's safely was Rachel.  As luck would have it the power flickered and went out about twenty minutes after I got there.  This was no surprise when outside we could here limbs cracking and falling from the trees around.  The power was out, the roads were crap, neither mattered because I was with my best friend and a impromptu sleep-over was in store! Rachel was brewing up a big pot of super amazing curry and we broke open a bottle of Cava to go with.  It was such a lovely night.

When we took the dogs out (of course Stella was along for the adventure and warmth) we just knew it was going to be an amazing morning.

 And it was.

 There were only small branches on the cars.

 Rachel's backyard is partially wooded and there were limbs/small trees down left and right.  The snow was just so icy and heavy.

 We admired all the beauty of snow in boots, down coats and mittens.

The pups had fun sniffing at everything there was to nuzz up.

What a good welcome to winter!

Being up North really helped me to find beauty and amazement in winter that I had never fully appreciated before.  Part of that appreciation is founded in wearing the right clothing for the weather and being nice to yourself by bundling up.  There is no possible way to enjoy things with your spine shivering, teeth chattering and toes numbing.  

I waited until the sun hit the roads to venture out, which was wise and I had no trouble getting back to Wakarusa to ship last weeks newspaper.

You may have noticed a few tweeks the site.  I've added another site sharontelschow[dot]com and have made the inner-navigable.  (I guess that is a word.)  If you have an critique or suggestions I'd love to hear them just shoot me an email.

little things:
1. new tires
2. piles of snow
3. the massive feeling of joy that fills my heart when I'm with dear Rachel
4. furry companions to talk to during harrowing drives so I feel less insain
5. green curry
6. cava to fight the bit of curry
7. down-filled coats
8. blue skies and sunshine the morning after the storm
9. mouth-fulls of fresh snow
10. temperatures that melt all the snow the next day