Snow!

[altivo]

Got up early and went with the birders to help out with the Christmas bird count. I stuck with the group through the morning, and it was snowing at least lightly the entire time. We saw lots of common "bird feeder" birds, a few geese on the wing, and several hawks. By the time I split to go home at 12:30, the only really interesting things were a great blue heron (and it's true what the zen koan says, when the heron stands in the snow, his color is different) and a tufted titmouse.

They dropped me at Starbucks on the Square because that's where Gary was going to pick me up. I called him and he said fifteen minutes, so I went into the Read Between the Lynes bookstore next door. It should be called Read Between the Lions, though. They always have at least a few plushies, but right now the shop is loaded with big cats: lions and tigers mostly, with a few life sized retriever dogs. They are lined up under the display tables peering up at you, each one is about four feet long. One of the proprietors asked if she could help me find anything, and I explained that I was just browsing and waiting for a ride but that the plushies were spectacular. She agreed and said how much they liked having them there. The big cats are only $50, which is tempting. I got a birthday gift in the form of a check that would buy one. They're made by "Melissa and Doug", a name I don't recognize, but each is a little different. The shop has named each, putting a collar with a handwritten tag around their neck: George, Fred, Amy, Harrison, and so forth.

The reason I cut out from the bird count wasn't just that I was cold (though I was,) but that we were supposed to go to the annual Sagittarian birthday celebration in Elgin, about 28 miles from home. Well, it kept snowing, and kept snowing. Gary had made food to take to the pot luck, and wrapped gifts, and we put the animals to bed a bit early and loaded up the car, though I was getting dubious. The snow was getting heavier, the weather forecast had changed to a Winter Snow Advisory, and just a county away they were issuing Heavy Snow Warning instead. Our expected accumulation was raised from under an inch, to one to two inches, to three to five inches in the course of the day. Gary really wanted to go, though, and he'd put a lot of energy into getting ready for it this week, so we started out. The roads were far from clear. People were driving like brainless idiots of course. About two miles from home, one of them made a turn in front of us, lost control, and slid off the roadway into a guardrail. We passed him and continued, and I felt our car slide. Gary was driving, and I said "Did we just skid?" and he said yes. A minute later he said "I've changed my mind." It took us 20 minutes to get home. We couldn't turn around because the traffic was too heavy and they were all tailgating like idiots, so we made a big circle on rural roads that were getting snowier even as we drove. That was about 5:30.

It's 9:30 now, and the snow hasn't stopped falling. In fact, it's coming down harder. The accumulation since we got back home is certainly moer than three inches. The total since last night is more than five inches. The Snow Advisory continues until noon tomorrow... I'm glad we cancelled the trip. When he called to tell the hostess we wouldn't be coming, she said calls were coming in one after another for the same reason.

Had a nice supper on some of the ill-fated pot luck dishes. Then we fired up the woodstove and watched Muppet Christmas Carol. Probably going to bed soon, we're both beat.

Comments

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

Big cats for $50. They must be the same ones my favorite hobby shop is carrying for the seaon. I like the husky, myself. $40 ain't a bad price for that much husky-ness.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I didn't see a husky, if they had one he probably got sold. I need to look the maker up. A snow leopard or a zebra would be really nice.

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

They had a white tiger. Orange tiger. Lion. Black lab, yellow lab, husky, giraffe. Golden retriever, and that's about all I can recall. Pretty good selection, I'd say.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The bookstore had the giraffe for $99. Very nice job, but not exactly cuddly. They also had the retrievers. I found the Melissa & Doug web page in Google and saw the other animals they do. There are a horse and a zebra. They both look good but list price for either is $109. I may still spring for one of those lions, though. List is apparently $55 compared with $49 at Lynes'.

[deffox]

Watch here will be the opposite. They predict 16 inches, so it'll probably be much less. So far it's only been flurries.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Looking out the window this morning I'm guessing we got between 8 and 9 inches. It is no longer falling at the moment.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear Rider.

Whinnyhi.

You guys are too damn busy. You make me feel like a lazy sob. Grin.

Gave Tonka a most wonderful hug tonight. Such a big sweetie. Heck, even Thunder is being nice for a change... must be his lowered testosterone level being Winter and all. Of course the boy is gonna get cut this year... it will be for the best. And Rocky Top is having too much fun... he is way too enthusiastic about being a dog.

Love you.
Impers

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Given your location, I imagine you got some of this snow too. Do your two guys play like foals in the snow? Ours do. They seem to really like it. I can imagine Rocky with snow too. Soma has probably seen enough of it in her life that it's ho-hum. ;p

Saw two flat-coated retrievers yesterday at one of the birdwatcher's homes. She had an obedience class in the morning and we stopped to pick her up after she got back. Her youngster was called Pete and about 8 months old I think. I really liked him, well behaved and friendly, full of enthusiasm, ready to play play play.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear you couldn't go due to the snow - I love snow, but things like this are one of the few downtimes to cold weather, yes.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It doesn't bother me much, I wouldn't even have set out to go in that weather, but Gary had put so much energy toward getting ready that I couldn't say no. Given that we seem to have gotten nearly 24 cm of snow now, I'm glad we came back home. Sometimes you need to relax and stop running from event to event, and this time of year that is especially true.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Yes, quite true...

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...what's that saying? "Discretion is the greater part of valor."

Sounds like we both got the same storm. Too bad you missed the Sagittarian birthday thingy. I'm not sure what that is, but sounds cool. *Grin*

Glad you made it back alright. Doesn't look like we'll be going far today either. I think my car is buried.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yep, you probably got the same storm system a few hours later. The sun is out now here, and we got about 7 inches more or less on top of what was already on the ground.

The good news is that Gary got the snowblower going, so clearing out enough room to move cars around and get wheelbarrows between the barns isn't going to be such a bad ordeal this time.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

1) I love the name of that bookstore.
2) People do drive like idiots, every year it seems people
have to learn all over again that you can't drive fast on
nearly frictionless surfaces.
3) Glad you got home okay.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The bookstore's owners are named "Lynes" hence the name.

The idiocy of drivers in general seems to be amplified in this Republican county. They all drive luxury cars or SUVs except for the good ol' boys with their Dodge Ram pickups. They all travel 15 to 20 mph over the speed limit, ignore no passing zones, and tailgate as if they were at the Superbowl. Enforcement is non-existent for the most part, because the sheriff is a Republican too and doesn't want to get anyone riled up at him. God forbid they should vote a Democrat in. Traffic stops and arrests seem to be reserved for Mexicans and blacks.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Being the driver of a modest sedan (I value
reliablity in RL) I find the amount of trophy
wives driving half up on the curb during a
snowstorm in a Ford Devestator frighteningly
in line with your assesment.

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

A shame to miss the bash, but it sounds like you were wise not to attempt the drive. Hope you and the annimules are doing ok in the snow.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Doing just fine. In fact, thanks to Gary's industriousness, nice pathways are cleared between all the buildings and places we need to go. ;D

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I could stand real still for some leftovers :)

I think it's real funny that people around your area still drive badly given the conditions. You'd think they'd take care considering it happens every year.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You need to be faster, kitty. Those leftovers are long gone now. ;p

Americans are not good drivers in general. They are impatient, rude, and thoughtless of road conditions. After nine months of good visibility and dry pavement, winter hits and they can't remember far enough back to realize that their behavior needs to change. About two months into the winter, they finally start to get it, and then winter ends and they are back to their usual reckless behavior.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Well they'll reap it in panel damage and towing fees.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, and they don't care. Just as they don't care how much fuel their vehicles guzzle.

You should have seen the behavior yesterday and today, in fog where you couldn't see more than 50 meters or so. People driving with no lights on so you couldn't see them coming until they were on top of you. Driving 60 mph or more. Tailgating, passing recklessly, the same way they behave on a dry, sunny, summer day. It's hopeless.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Wait a minute...no leftovers?? *lip starts to wobble*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Five days later and you expect the leftovers to still be around? Long gone. I think there's a piece of baked chicken from Wednesday in the fridge, and a couple of slices of pizza from tonight... And we have a lot of Christmas cookies at the moment...

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Hooray!! *sits by the fridge looking cute*

Yes I must admit it was a bit optimistic to expect leftovers 5 days later ;)