Five Acres with a View

January 08, 2007 - Click on image for higher resolution version.

Run, Elaine, run! See the big, red truck. See the big, red truck get stuck. See the wall of snow in front of the Subaru!

Fran mentioned missing my daily photo of snow yesterday. No, the snow has not gone away. However, most of the snow within easy reach has achieved the gritty, icy stage and is laying about in not particularly attractive drifts, with lots of large bare places scoured by the wind.

Yesterday, I needed some chili, so I braved the roads to go grocery shopping. Our road, though it was well-plowed when the last snow storm stopped, has been subject to continuous drifting. One particularly bad area is at the end of our driveway, which sits inside a banked curve. Saturday night, I left for a party, and barely clawed my way back into the driveway afterward while driving the Subaru. Sunday morning, the trip out was only interesting for the first tenth mile after I left the driveway. Coming home, I was chanting I think I can, I think I can, as I drove that last tenth mile before I got stuck as I turned into the driveway. This was not unexpected, but embarrassing because a truck was coming down the opposite way. I called Jack to come out, and jumped out and started digging with my trusty snow shovel. I was able to free the wheels sufficiently that I lurched into the driveway as Jack opened the garage door.

My homemade chili was excellent.

Late that evening, I was startled to look out and see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle, and what was apparently a pile-up of vehicles at the entrance of our driveway. Since I was already in my jammies, I sent Jack out to investigate. There were no injuries, evidently, but one massively stuck vehicle, along with a truck which had burned out its clutch trying to free the massively stuck vehicle. Later, a bob cat came by and did some serious snow moving, and I noted this morning that the only vehicle there is a truck, presumably the clutch-less one. I can’t tell whether the road has been plowed, but did note that a massive 4WD truck was able to get by, so perhaps we can get out.

6:40 am I just noticed a light truck, going north, that turned around when it reached the stuck truck, so it must still be pretty treacherous. I’ve noticed another vehicle made it by going south, but it was apparently an SUV. South is easier than north, because north goes up a significant hill. School bus due at 6:45, so that will be more data.

7:00 am School bus is apparently parked at the bottom of the hill, awaiting developments. I just shoveled our driveway entrance enough to get the Subaru free, and will have to do it again if developments include a snow plow. Two passenger cars made it out going south: I think the Subaru Forrester in the lead was acting as escort for the other, since it waited while the other negotiated the drifted area.

Just think what you people who live in Southern California are missing.

January 05, 2007 - Click on image for higher resolution version.

We have a little more than eight inches, I think.

Headline from local newspaper: Up to 8 inches of snow forecast for today.

January 03, 2007 - Click on image for higher resolution version.

January 02, 2007 - Click on image for higher resolution version.

I saw the moon rising as I fed the horses last night. I jogged back inside the house to get my mono-pod and camera, even though I knew I would be unable to capture the exquisite violet shade of the sky.

January 02, 2007 - Click on image for higher resolution version.

Some places get more snow than others: for example, my trainer’s barn, after three days and considerable digging. Fortunately, there is another door to the barn that doesn’t get a drift.

January 01, 2007 - Click on image for higher resolution version.

Wishing everyone who reads this a happy, healthy and prosperous 2007.

December 31, 2006 - Click on image for higher resolution version.

Although I parked the Subaru at the end of the driveway near the road, I expected I would need to spend some time digging out to the road through the ridge of snow the plow leaves. Instead, when I got to the end of the driveway, I found the snow plow driver or a neighbor had already plowed clear the end of the drive, so it didn’t take me more than two minutes of digging to get the car free. Behind the cut, there is photo of what I would have been digging through.

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December 30, 2006 - Click on image for higher resolution version.

The good news is we have blue skies and a plowed road. The bad news is that the wind seems to be picking up, as forecast.