Saturday In The Howling Silence

It is quiet around here. The town was almost deserted when I was out to shovel walks earlier. It was strange to see the streets so empty. No traffic, no cars, and no one out and about. Of course that may be connected to the 50 mph howling winds and the snow and ice covering everything. It might also be due to the fact that the interstate and several highways were closed at various times during the day as well.

It started snowing around 6 am and kept it up for a good part of the day. The addition of the winds just made it all more harsh. The only thing keeping it from being a total white out was the fact that the snow was so wet that it stuck rather than blew once it hit something. At around 1pm this is how it looked:

 

Nothing like a little wet snow on top of some rain that was freezing as the temperature fell. When I went out to shovel, it was slicker than the proverbial snail's snot. The winds were howling enough over at MIL's house (it is more exposed on the edge of town than ours or Mom's) that I had to shovel facing one direction only because if I lifted the shovel the other way, it caught the wind, and I started sliding down the street. Sort of like an oil tanker under sail power.

After warming up and fixing supper, I sat down with L for a quiet meal and listened to the wind howl through the trees. I plan to stay inside in the cozy warmth and recover from the cold for the rest of the evening. Nothing like listening to the wind howl while you read with the dog sitting at your side. L has a bad cold so she is getting ready to veg out and drink some more tea. I figure I've got another 8 hours before the 48 hour incubation period is up and I find out whether L has given me her cold. I sure hope not!

I have but one final thing to say - the weather critters got it right this time!