Yeah, I too thought that it was funny when I first heard this 'proclaimed' name of this storm...If hurricanes have names, shouldn't blizzards as well? Well, I am all for fun...and names, but this name has worn on me and it truly no longer funny to me. Just like Alex..."I am so done with the Blizzard of 2011." This quote, just one of many of the past few days, from the little one who did actually help shovel us out, but really didn't have it stressful enough to throw himself into exasperation over it.
Daddy and I stayed on top of it as best as we could considering the amount of snow and the blowing that came with it. In all, I went out three times to shovel with Daddy and he went out once more after supper on Tuesday. We were out at Midnight and when we looked out in the morning across the Winter Wonderland, I proclaimed..."I don't think it is that bad, I can see some of the sidewalk leading to our porch. I'm glad we stayed up late to knock it out!" Oh, how wrong I was. The driveway looked like a sea of snow complete with waves and ripples once we headed out. In some places it had drifted to as high as 3 feet. I'm not sure if it was best that we tried to 'stay on top of it' or not. But, I do know that we were able to get our entire driveway cleared yesterday despite the massive drifts across it...
so, maybe in the end, it worked out for us.
It was funny to survey the storm today as we drove around after cabin fever had set in. In the end, the experts claim that we received 13 inches. Accurate?? I'm not sure. I don't know how they can tell when the wind was blowing the way it was. Neighbors at the very end of our street seemed to have only a few inches of snow covering the driveway and had no massive piles of snow alongside the edge of their driveway. We, along with our neighbors, on the other hand, seemed to have at least a foot and a half where it wasn't drifting and more where it was. It seems so unfair how Mother Nature dumps on one of us, yet spares someone just a block away. All in all, I did decide we were quite lucky. Although we had some crazy drifts in our driveway and a monstrosity that rivals Mt. Everest in our backyard, they did not compare to some of the drifts that we saw while driving around today. Yes, it could have been worse...
we could have been stranded on Lake Shore Drive.
I'll say we conquered it...We have access to our street. We can safely pull our vehicles out when cabin fever sets in. Dukers has plenty of space out back to do his business and even more space now that the cold has set in and he can walk around on the drifts. Hopefully, he doesn't try to escape on the North end. Alex and Julia finished their Valentine's mailboxes and Alex finished his Valentine's for school already (**sigh** no worries about that over the next week and a half). Julia was able just to get hers started, but was distracted and kept looking out the window and asking "Where is the blizzard? I don't see it." It was quite obvious that the blowing, swirling snow out back was not what she was picturing in her mind for what a blizzard actually was. In her three year old mind, it was just snow. A blizzard was much more. My house, one would assume, would be sparkling right now and smelling of Fantastic and 409. But, alas, it is actually messier now than when this whole ordeal started. There are mountains of coats, snowpants, sweatpants, gloves, socks, boots, hats, and scarves hanging everywhere in attempts to dry out before our next venture out. I'll get it all cleaned eventually...maybe when Spring arrives and I can kick everyone outside!
Daddy and I stayed on top of it as best as we could considering the amount of snow and the blowing that came with it. In all, I went out three times to shovel with Daddy and he went out once more after supper on Tuesday. We were out at Midnight and when we looked out in the morning across the Winter Wonderland, I proclaimed..."I don't think it is that bad, I can see some of the sidewalk leading to our porch. I'm glad we stayed up late to knock it out!" Oh, how wrong I was. The driveway looked like a sea of snow complete with waves and ripples once we headed out. In some places it had drifted to as high as 3 feet. I'm not sure if it was best that we tried to 'stay on top of it' or not. But, I do know that we were able to get our entire driveway cleared yesterday despite the massive drifts across it...
so, maybe in the end, it worked out for us.
It was funny to survey the storm today as we drove around after cabin fever had set in. In the end, the experts claim that we received 13 inches. Accurate?? I'm not sure. I don't know how they can tell when the wind was blowing the way it was. Neighbors at the very end of our street seemed to have only a few inches of snow covering the driveway and had no massive piles of snow alongside the edge of their driveway. We, along with our neighbors, on the other hand, seemed to have at least a foot and a half where it wasn't drifting and more where it was. It seems so unfair how Mother Nature dumps on one of us, yet spares someone just a block away. All in all, I did decide we were quite lucky. Although we had some crazy drifts in our driveway and a monstrosity that rivals Mt. Everest in our backyard, they did not compare to some of the drifts that we saw while driving around today. Yes, it could have been worse...
we could have been stranded on Lake Shore Drive.
I'll say we conquered it...We have access to our street. We can safely pull our vehicles out when cabin fever sets in. Dukers has plenty of space out back to do his business and even more space now that the cold has set in and he can walk around on the drifts. Hopefully, he doesn't try to escape on the North end. Alex and Julia finished their Valentine's mailboxes and Alex finished his Valentine's for school already (**sigh** no worries about that over the next week and a half). Julia was able just to get hers started, but was distracted and kept looking out the window and asking "Where is the blizzard? I don't see it." It was quite obvious that the blowing, swirling snow out back was not what she was picturing in her mind for what a blizzard actually was. In her three year old mind, it was just snow. A blizzard was much more. My house, one would assume, would be sparkling right now and smelling of Fantastic and 409. But, alas, it is actually messier now than when this whole ordeal started. There are mountains of coats, snowpants, sweatpants, gloves, socks, boots, hats, and scarves hanging everywhere in attempts to dry out before our next venture out. I'll get it all cleaned eventually...maybe when Spring arrives and I can kick everyone outside!
About 4:00 PM, Tuesday, February 1st, 2011.
Daddy after shoveling at about 6:30 PM...This picture does no justice. His eyebrows and eyelashes were white with snow. For some reason, it just did not show up in the picture!
Looking out across our driveway (I think? It is hard to tell...I took quite a few pictures) at Midnight. I love how the flash catches the snowflakes!
The kids had more fun playing it in rather than working...Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011.
Julia's attempt at snowball making!
Showing off the drift at the end of the driveway. Yet another deceiving picture...It doesn't look that deep there, but to the left, where it is lower, there is probably 3 or 4 inches of snow on top of the driveway.
When Alex decided to finally chip in and help!
The pile as tall as me...It would have been taller,but the snow kept falling backdown the other side.
Looking out back from the garage door...
Duke and Gia having some fun!
Mt. Everest
Duke fought the shovel and the shovel won...Check out his bloody lip!
Another angle of Mt. Everest...
Neighborhood hoodlums getting into trouble between the fences. It told them to head back and get out of there because I wasn't saving them. They continued...so, what did I do? I took their picture! Andrew's mom finally came and got them and gave them a good stern talking to!
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