More Snow Photos:Up To My Shoulders

 

The snow has melted, and it has been a relief to relax and recover from all of that shoveling.  The dogs still needed to be walked, and meals had to be cooked.  The  dishes still needed to be done.  

We are expecting two more storms this week.  Most of us learned a lot of lessons from the last time.  I have spent hours bringing in firewood.  Having the wood heater going nonstop makes such a difference.  Wood stoves and fireplace inserts require a lot of logs.  It's time consuming, and you have to be organized. 

This was my deck.  After clearing the path and digging out my cars, I needed to remove the weight of this snow.  It was such a satisfying feeling to clear it.  I had to dig out my gas meter and pipes, too.  People were having explosions due to gas leaks.  It was just a tremendous amount of snow.

This photo really shows how it felt that week.  I started to dig a path out to my firewood pile, but decided against it.  There was too much to do.  The snow on my upstairs balcony was piled up to my head.  Fortunately, it has four spouts that drain it down to the deck, and it melted fairly quickly.  All's well that ends well.

How's the weather where you are?

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Lessons From My Neighbors

 Yesterday I took my Burley Travoy Bike Trailer/Grocery Cart into town, on foot.  I ran into my neighbor and her sister on my way home.  They stood on their porch and we discussed all that we had learned from this blizzard.  Although I saw in the forecast that we would receive at least five feet of snow, I didn't factor in the berm from the snowplow driving down our street.  That made it so much higher.  It was also extremely wide. 

It took us eight days to completely dig out our cars.  That was working several hours a day.  I learned to stop at a set time in the afternoon, take a bath, and rest.  I got in my pajamas early, after taking a hot bath.  You need extra sleep and more carbs when you are shoveling snow all day.

You need to be very strong and fit to survive these types of circumstances.  Several people up in Crestline died.  I knew that was going to happen.  Their situation was far worse.  I think it's wise to practice for emergencies.  You learn where your weak spots are, and what to change for the next time.  

I plan to buy a Jackery battery, store far more firewood inside and on my porch, and keep at least a month's worth of food in the stockpile.  Now I understand why The Red Cross recommends storing canned and dried goods.  I ate several Spam and cheese quesadillas that week.  They tasted amazing.

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Getting Back to Normal in the California Mountains

 The past few days have been a huge relief.  The blizzard finally ended.    This photo above shows how our cars were buried.   After digging mine out, and the huge pile of berm in front of it, I drove into town.  I picked up some dry firewood, fresh fruit, and other staples.  

Today I felt a huge shift.  The roads are plowed, the snow is melting, and I no longer had to shovel for several hours a day.  I finished clearing the deck yesterday, and still need to get the snow off of the upstairs balcony.  At this point, I can't open the screen door, the snow is now up to my waist.  It was at my head's level, initially.

 Yesterday morning I drove down the mountain and deposited my heavy black trash bag at our local dump.  It's the little things that you really appreciate when you have been snowed in at your cabin.  I bought a huge bag of dog food, and some small Lindt chocolate eggs.  What a relief to see our cars again.  I came home and took a luxurious sauna and enjoyed a movie before bed.

How are things with you?

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