Blizzard

Well it's safe to say we got a lot of snow! Since I live on the coast in Bristol we didn't get nearly the dumpage that areas more inland received, about 14 inches or so whereas areas only a half hour drive away got over two feet. The bottom six inches of ours was really heavy and wet though so it just kept packing down more and more all day yesterday until it was like ice. That heavy snow combined with the extreme winds along the coast (gusts up to 70mph) means we lost power by 8pm because of all the downed trees and wires. The lightening leading up to and following the power outage was something else to see. The whole sky lit up with a bluish glow through the thick falling snow. Very pretty and surreal...don't think I can remember ever seeing snow lightning before. Wish there was a way to have captured it on camera.

No power means no heat except for the fireplace in the kitchen sitting area so that's where we sat, all bundled up. It was actually kind of nice to be forced to relax and take time to enjoy some good wine and good company. Dan and I slept with a spare horse blanket on the bed and Emma the dog and Charlie the cat (yes, I also have a cat named Charlie - both Charlie's came with their names) nestled in between. It was surprisingly cozy.

By morning the wind had quieted down but the majority of the snow had come overnight so there was a lot more to clear than the night before. We spent several hours this morning clearing out the driveway and cars as well as the whole end of our street since the circle in front of the house had fallen trees blocking the road on BOTH sides which inhibited the plow from making its way down to us (and effectively sealed us in). Thank god for snow blowers and chainsaws!

Now we're just waiting for the power to come back on, melting snow to refill the toilets (yeah forgot about that small detail in our storm prep) and cooking our meals on Dan's camp stove. Oh, and drinking a lot of wine :) It's not too bad, though chilly, especially since Dan's brother who only lives 5 min away still has water and heat so we can shower and sleep there if need be. The roads are finally cleared as of this afternoon and people are allowed to venture out again (there was a ban) but they are in no way "safe" yet so no barn trips. It was hard enough just getting over to Dan's brother's house. The barn doesn't have power either so the horses are on rationed water and everyone is forced to stay in because of all the snow. Charlie has a nice new fleece under his winter blanket, though, so he should be warm and cozy :)