Monday, April 14, 2008

Spring?

We were making progress, we really were. This photo was taken 10 days ago before all the grey weather set in. Our little cupcake house was thawing out nicely. Spirits were rising with the sun.

Out back (well, actually on the side) of the house, the slide was becoming a viable option to play on. I was even dreaming of taking coffee outside once the temps were a tiny bit higher.

And then the April Blizzard rolled in. The storm was heavily predicted so there was plenty of time for panic. The grocery stores were a mess, lines 20 deep. The hospital battened down. I was not scheduled the first night so was home as the storm approached. The wind was intense. At one point I stood out in the dark listening to it howl as the trees lashed madly, heard but barely seen. Snow came sideways with the rain and tiny hail, and sounds of surf filled the background. I live a good mile from the big lake so I knew the waves were rolling. We woke up Friday to wind, snow, and no power. No power means many things, but especially no toast. Sad for me. We learned that our new stove top will work, but not the oven. So Alex got his favorite oatmeal, but there would be no fresh baked bread. Not that there were plans for that, but even if there were it could not happen. The fridge was off, but we did not want to put food out in the cold because that would let what was left of the heat escape. Also there would be precious little hot water, no bathing for us. It's been a long time since the power went out, so this was a good reality check. I don't know that we have lost power in the winter before and it is a thought provoking experience. If we want to be able to weather any storms we will need to get a wood stove installed, and a tankless hot water heater would be ideal. The storm only lasted one full day, instead of the predicted two. Our power came back after about 10 hours off, others went for days. The roads and all were a mess for days and I picked up extra work thanks to our new (old) 4 wheel drive pickup, no problem getting into work for me. I even got put up in the Sheraton Hotel they built adjacent to the hospital on Friday night. The best part was getting an excellent midnight view of the wild waves on Lake Superior. Many topping 15 feet high. There are probably great pictures somewhere on the net. While I was working and away from home I was a little worried Daddy and Alex would be having a bad time or be missing me.
Why do i worry? They headed out into the storm with boots, snow suits, and our ski trailer. Where else would they go but a mile down to the neighborhood video and ice cream shop??

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

GREAT picture of Alex! Look at that smile - I think he got his mom's sweet tooth :o)

Beth Up North said...

Hi Sis!!
Yeah, he loves his ice cream. The odd thing is, he does not like chocolate. Still, I am pretty sure he is mine. Hey, you might want to try this blogging thing too, I need to hear more about the Colorado branch of the family...
Hugs,
Beth