I was surprised to see how long it’s been since I’ve posted! (Time flies…when you’re absorbed in excellent books!)
We were hit with the biggest snowfall I’ve ever seen, at least here on Harstine Island. (And for decades elsewhere!) What a doozy of a storm, and actually it was a series of several storms with one Big Kahuna in the mix. John took advantage of a window of opportunity between storms to venture to the grocery store and load up on stuff, since Blue Apron wasn’t going to be able to deliver. We were concerned that there wouldn’t be much on the shelves (as had been reported), but he managed to find everything we needed. His timing was perfect because immediately after he returned home, it started snowing again in earnest.
We were pretty much trapped here for a few days. John had parked his truck at the top of the driveway, but trudging up the driveway to get to it was close to impossible. (It could have been done if direly needed, but there was no dire need). And then the private little road, which is curvy and very hilly, was a solid no-go. Even the day that John went to the store between storms, there were trees across the private road all the way to the county road that he had to stop and cut with his chainsaw. In fact, it took him over an hour to get to the county road—one mile from our house! And that was before the Big Kahuna hit!
All-in-all, it was fine (sure glad he went to the store that one time, though!) It was beautiful and dramatic to watch, and even though we had a few hard blinks, our power never went out (it sure did for a lot of people all around, though). Knowing that we had the generator was a huge relief and peace of mind (the best money ever spent—and yes, it was pricey for a whole-house generator. Not as pricey as having the driveway poured, though…)
The storm was rare, because it was wide-spread. Often, if it snows at all, it’ll be isolated areas that get it, mostly based on elevation. The vast majority of western Washington was dumped on, and many places had 10, 12, even 20 inches of snow. Here, at sea level, we had about 8-9” at the maximum. However, just at the top of the driveway, there was significantly more! On NextDoor (app for local neighborhoods), people inland (and higher) on the island were reporting 18” in places! I know this had to create major hardships for many—we’re low on the priority list for snow plowing (plus, there are not many snow plows), and there are slews of private roads and long, gravel driveways that never see a plow. I saw a plea on NextDoor for help because they needed formula for their baby and they could not get out of their long winding driveway. Luckily, they received several offers of assistance.
Anyway. Here are a few pictures!
Here (below), you can see where thin films of ice formed on the saltwater (!) and the snow stuck to it!
That particular day, (the day of the Big Kahuna), it snowed heavily non-stop for over 12 hours.
It just seemed so strange to see snow covering the beach. Our neighbor took these photos:
There were moments of sun between the storms, and it was nice to see color!
It was really something, with days of blizzarding wind and snow, and then that day of quiet, steady accumulation. Then, it was over and the melting began. That was a s-l-o-w process, since the temperatures didn’t rise all that much for a while. We were constantly startled when big melting chunks would slide off the roof and crash to the deck, shaking the house!
The cats have been beyond bored, beyond frustrated, and Mojo in particular has been a butt, constantly harassing Wylie and causing trouble. They are most definitely ready for SPRING. (Of course, that brings rain, so the boredom and frustration and harassment will continue on…)
I did not feel confident about working on glass projects throughout all of this because I worried about power outages. It would not be smart to rely on the generator to power a kiln or two! Jeeze, I can just imagine the suckage of the big propane tank! So, I read. I read the new(ish) Bosch/Ballard book (loved it) and I also discovered a new author (for me) and I am blown away with his writing! I read two of his books, one after the other: November Road, and The Long and Faraway Gone, by Lou Berney. The latter (which actually came out before the former) is an Edgar award winner, and I can clearly see why. His characterization and dialogue are stellar (as well as his storytelling). They are considered crime/mystery, but they are really so much more. I was utterly captivated! I’d also read our Book Club book, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I was not impressed with the writing overall; it seemed aimed more for YA, in my opinion. And although the story was pretty good and the harsh clarity of Alaska was vivid, there were many occasions that required a suspension of belief.
The snow is mostly gone now, and I’m hankering to step back into the glass studio! I have a couple of ideas…
Here is a very brief (15 sec.) video of the snow falling and the view of the snow/ice on the saltwater:
