The Bellingham BLIZZARD November 2006

Update 11-27

Update 11-28

Update 11-29

Update 11-30

Blizzard 11-26-2006 Day 1











At 4:30 I walked the dog to go color some snow...
This is up the street, getting dark..



This is down the street



Our house/van



In our driveway, you can still see part of Murphy's legs, further down the street in another driveway you couldn't even see her belly.



If it keeps snowing tonight, I'm going to go out first thing in the morning to take pics around the neighborhood.


Doing the math, we were getting about 1.7 inches per hour at one point.






...Update - lightly snowing..

Update - 9am 11-27-06 - Day 2 Beautiful morning! It's cooold - I don't want to go around the neighborhood, but I'll go around the house.. The snow had melted one inch, so 12 left. I hear some parts up here got 17 inches.. That lump of snow at the end is our van Walking out to the street and turning around, this is our garage and the van again. Looking up our road to the main street.. Directly across the street from our house And down the street. It was very powdery yesterday - PERFECTLY dry and powdery. It got a little breezy yesterday so there are drifts. So some of the trees don't look too snowy any longer. You can see the melt too. Going around the house to the back I see icicles on Paul's house. This is the paved walkaway to the back. The big tree thing is a small apple tree. There is Paul's big van in the back. The one the bees live in... tomorrow the bees will get a cold surprise because I'm going to get rid of those nests! I'll take pics!! Walking down the walkway to the back alley, I see bigfoot has recently walked down the alley again.. He keeps late hours that guy!

Update - 9am 11-28-06 - Day 3 The snow has melted some and then a .5" of blown powder on everything. Starting up the day with sunny and blue skies! Testing the depth here shows 9", you can see how the snow at the sides of the basket have melted away. Little critters have been here. Maybe we'll actually see one before the morning bee thrashing is done.. The bushes across the street are trying to shape up again.. Ah there's the van, almost lost it yesterday. Paul is growing some gorgeous but deadly icicles now Aha there is the van with the bees, and my weapon, a stick wielded fearfully with a coat-covered hand. OK I know the bees are not active but still my brain will not allow my bare hand to wield the stick. Uncovering hiding place A... Reveals nests a & b, smallish, but they don't seem that way with 12 bees flying in and out of them all summer. Ha, I win! Feeling emboldened by my victory, I pass over the door bees, as there is no way my stick will fit into the door crack to get those nests, and so I move to the back.. Looks innocent enough.. But the frozen bee in the corner (yellowjacket that is) hints at the hideous truth. Aaaand stick does it's job.. Walla! more frozen bees. Funny how one crop dies and next year a new crop builds onto Le Gas Tank Chalet. I don't know where they all go, since I know at least 100 bees were coming in and out of there last summer. Le Chalet is about to become Shredded Wheat It's still pretty deep around here. Gotta watch where you step too. Got little snow-men in your town? They are all over mine. I'll show you more of them tomorrow. Meanwhile, indoors the heater is on and certain members of the team are soaking in it. Ever wrap yourself around a metal pole in a corner an inch from a heater vent to enjoy maximum heat-yield?

Update - 9am 11-29-06 - Day 4 Update 9am - Overcast and 19 degrees!! Later, we decide to explore the neighborhood.. So we take a half hour to bundle up in as much stuff we can find, and open the frozen door.. It's 2:30pm, I take measurements - 8.5" Ready Gwen? This is the lowest spot in the driveway, it is usually melt. But here it is the warmest part of the day, and it's frozen solid. Walking out to the main road, all packed snow ice and a little sand thrown in for good luck, that's about all it's good for right now. That yellow light there is to warn drivers to slow to 20mph because school children are about.. I think that would be speeding up for most drivers today... So we turn around and head for safety.. We decide to make a block and take pics of anything interesting. Like icicles and more icicles here's our street and off we go. A few houses down is this little creek, iced on the sides. and turn a corner to see more icicles and a raccoon - ok ok that's fake, I threw that in there for fun. and turning another corner, we decide to go down to the school. So far no success in finding any snowmen. but overhanging snow and ice we do find. to the max!! (for you younger set, that's an 80's term that means "in overabundance") interesting snow sculpture on the school roof, but no snowmen. I think the novelty of the snow has worn off and most kids are playing PS2... aha here's a snowman.. hmmm who does this remind me of... MY BROTHER SAM, hey it's Sam the Snowman!! This cold weather has really effected Gwen, her arms are on backwards and her head is screwed to the right. Dear me. Gwen finds some magic berries that put her to rights. - then I keep hearing my name over and over and... oh no it can't be... yes this dog and I have something in common. This is the SECOND dog named Sally that I have met here!! sheesh. Well at least she's CUTE! We decide we're willing to hit the trail instead of turning back for home. My thighs are numb, but hey, they'll thaw. We decide to take a photo in case we don't make it home. We love you all, we really do. Halfway to the pond we come upon the gates of Moriah as we call them. You have to make sure to walk on snow as anything smooth or bumpy will cause you to slip.. We are careful and no mishaps occur. ah we make it to the icy disk usually known as the pond. Somewhere down there is a hibernating muskrat, or frozen, one or the other. The birds are really brave, they come right down near you to find food. We decide we have to put out birdseed at home. I mean I can get REALLY close. I don't have a zoom lens. on the way back a bunch of birds fly right by our heads to go drink water in this ditch. We get closer and they fly off and then come right back. They are thirsty! Gwen gets thirsty, hopefully not colored snow... In other news, certain skitterings, scratchings, and from the sounds of it, moving pianos, have been heard in several walls of the house, and the attic... causing us to believe that someone lives with us without sharing the rent expense. This cannot be. Tune in tomorrow for the hairy scary job of looking into the attic, and under the house, and be warned there could be screaming....