And the snow doesn't stop!

This is Mom and Dad's picnic table as of December 27th. It has snowed another 15 inches since then.


I do believe Spokane has now made the national news with a recorded 69 inches of snow over the last 3 weeks. The way this has worked out is interesting to observe. The whole city was pretty much slammed with that initial 2 feet, but we all got out there and cleared the snow off our driveways and cars etc. It was great to get plowed the first time (Saturday before Christmas) which allowed us to get out there and finish grocery shopping and stock up for Christmas. By Christmas Eve, the snow on our street was pretty deep again, so it made it tough to get back and forth to Mom and Dad's house and to church. Mom and Dad happen to have the County Commissioner living at the end of their cul de sac, so they have been plowed more often than we have ( how handy)! I had to have dad come get me in the Highlander this past Saturday to take me to the store because we had not been plowed a second time and it was getting to be a pain in the Subaru. We encountered the graters on the way to the store. I was so excited I had to call Mel on my cell to let him know they were coming. He was not sure he believed me. I assured him it was for real! Of course, once the grater comes by there's more work to do because you have to dig out the berm at the end of your driveway and attempt to make the mailbox accessible to the postman again. When we got back from the store all the neighbors were out like busy beavers working to get that done. Scott, next door, claims that we brought this weather with us, but he also claims that we must know someone because this street has never been plowed this quickly! So I guess we're good for something. However, here's some of the ramifications come with such a build-up snow. Streets that are normally 4 lanes are now down to 2 1/2, there's the dilemma as to whether or not to shovel your roof ( and where do you put the snow if you do?), there is a whole discovery of what muscles get sore as the snow bank get's higher. Dad actually went to the hospital yesterday experiencing chest pains -- thankfully the pain was not his heart but instead sore muscles around his sternum. Mel did make the decision to shovel our roof. He was prompted to do so after he heard a strange noise at 2:30 am last Saturday morning -- thought it sounded like a metal garbage can being dragged behind a car on the street. But it couldn't have been that because it was coming from the backyard, so he looked out back and discovered that it was the roof slowing collapsing on the big metal barn in the pasture behind our house. Sadly, we believe the horses were inside whom we have not seen since.

But there are some redeeming factors, such as sledding at Mission Park. Maria, Christina, Brian, Evan and Dom all got to go last Friday after Christmas. I might also mention that walking back up the hill tends to wear the kids out!
Evan caught some air and Brian was a little overwhelmed.