HELP!!! I'm up to my *ss in snow!

[Drew]

Have shoveled the 80ft drive 5 times now and we have approx 26 in of snow. One of the worst I've seen in these parts. '79 seemed worse but they say we got more snow this time. IK and Foodie hold on, it's comming your way now.

Drew

[Thomas]

Drew, couldn't you just keep it down there for yourself???

I gotta tell ya, this has been one long, drawn, miserable winter. It started sometime in November and it shows no signs of easing up. My heating bill for the past month in the Finger Lakes makes my salary pale, and we ain't at the house on a daily basis.

Drew's snow has hit NY. In fact, I was to drive to work to NY City today from upstate, but cannot. Wait a minute: I guess snow does have its benefits...

[Bucko]

I feel for you all...... I'll stick to the rain in Seattle. We have had a very mild winter here this year.

[Innkeeper]

Our cousins in Ellicott City, MD lost their heat in the middle of everything yesterday. Then they realized that the safety valve for the furnace was covered with snow. So, the He bunddled up, went out and cleared it, and voila, the heat came back on.

[Drew]

Just had 12 deer in the back 30 yards from the house where I think they're bedding down. It's gonna be tough on all the critters this winter.

Drew

[Georgie]

Enough of this white stuff, already. Nobody looks forward to a snowstorm more than I do, because I don't have to go to work if it's a bad snow, but this being a holiday, it was kind of a waste. Don't know if we'll have to go in tomorrow, but I have had enough snow for this winter! I'm ready to see some crocus and daffodils!

[Thomas]

Georgie, my wife and I forced dafs and other bulbs indoors this year--we had a premonition it would be a long winter. Now, our house has the great smell of spring in it while outside--well, can't use the same word "great" for that.

Drew, up here the deer are crossing roads in alarming numbers, coming to the low ground seeking food that they cannot get at in the snow-covered high ground. On Saturday, on a 30 minute drive from Glenora to my home, I must have seen a couple dozen deer crossing roads at various spots; luckily, it was daytime and I saw them.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 02-17-2003).]

[Georgie]

That was a great idea. Too bad I didn't think of it. I'd even put up with the smell of paperwhite narcissus at this point! Last weekend I had some Dutch tulips which really brightened things up, but they are long gone.
Maybe I'll go look at some seed catalogs.

[mrdutton]

The'79 and '87 blizzards were storms to remember! But I missed them because I was sailing the seven seas onboard those grey Navy vessels at the time.

Now what about the blizzards we had in the 60's? Anybody remember those days?

One year the snow was so bad, the plows in Northern Delaware, Northeastern Maryland and Southeastern Pennsylvania could not bust through the drifts. The State of Pennsylvania had equipment for those kinds of heavy snows, but it was all out in Northern & Western Pennsylvania where it was normally needed.

The State of Delaware called out the National Guard. They used TANKS to bust through the drifts.

The snow was so deep we could not open our front door. But I could crawl out my bedroom window up onto the top of the drift in front of the house. It was packed, too, because it easily supported our weight on top of the drifts.

The neighborhood kids and my sister and I built a tunnel system and forts under the snow in our front yard. Thank goodness that the tunnels never collapsed on us!

[This message has been edited by mrdutton (edited 02-17-2003).]

[hotwine]

Methinks cabin fever is setting with you folks in a big way. Sympathies. If we ever get that kind of weather around here, I'm goin' further south.

[Innkeeper]

It's suppose to start snowing here late this afternoon or tonight. What the hay, we only have a foot and half on the ground right now. The temp is going up though; we only have two pipes still frozen.

Mike, are you sure you do not mean '78 vice '79? In Feb of '78 we had a blizzard in New England that closed Logan Airport for a week. Rt 128 around Boston was closed for ten days.

We lived in Portsmouth, NH at the time, and the plows dumped enough snow in the mouth of our driveway that it was over my head which is 6'2" off the ground. The kids and I shoveled it out, and another plow came by and filled it in again. I was ready to lie down in the snow and die, when a front end loader came by after the plow, and scooped out our driveway again!!!

[Georgie]

I certainly do remember those blizzards in the 60's and they are forever preserved on my family's home movies. I don't think it was quite as bad in NJ as what you describe, mrdutton, but there were some great storms. No power;playing games by candlelight..my parents always made those times fun for us. Now I worry about no heat, no refrigeration, no hot water...it was great to be a kid and to be oblivious to all the problems. All we knew was no school, play in the snow and drink hot chocolate when we came in! Those were the days, all right! One thing hasn't changed, however, and that's the goodness of neighbors. The folks next door and their kids just came and dug out my car, and my walkway. How lucky can I get? Time to bake them some cookies! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

[Thomas]

Georgie, you think you can send those neighbors on up here later???

[hotwine]

Hang on to those neighbors, Georgie. That kind is priceless. Got one myself.

[winedope1]

Gee, Drew, thanks for sharing!! It's 4pm, and I just got home after battling I95 for an hour!! We had to take care of 2 patients today, but canceled the rest. Now to crank up the snowblower!! WD

[Georgie]

Yes, life is being very good to me today. Neighbors to dig me out, beef burgundy cooking away, homemade rolls, toffee cashew bars for dessert, a bottle of Sterling Merlot, my knowing that everyone I love is safe and sound and doesn't have to go out in this mess tonight, AND I just got word that I don't have to go to work tomorrow! Yes, I'm marking this down as a very good day! My prayers and good thoughts to any of you have to go out or who have loved ones braving this storm.

[hotwine]

Should I say it? Got the pit goin' and smokin' some venison sausage. I'll drink to you folks and your snowflakes.

[Georgie]

That's OK, Hotwine...there's a Texas summer comin'!

[Kcwhippet]

Well, folks, it's 18 degrees here and I'm not sure exactly how much snow is on the ground, but it's at least 10" so far. There's a 20-25 mph wind going, so it's drifting. I don't really care because I'm making some fondue a little later and I'm not sure what we're going to open with it, maybe more than one. I don't anticipate leaving here until at least noon. The owner of the shop called from his ski vacation and said I don't have to open the shop until about 2 tomorrow if the snow's really bad.

[hotwine]

Georgie, you're so right. Summer will be payback time (gnawin' on sausage that's hot off the pit).

Kc, if you have to open that shop tomorrow, tell that absentee owner you want a biga$$ bonus!

Whoo-eee, lots of pfeffer in this sausage. Needs a little Tabasco.