Well That Kind of Sucked

My winter of Panama envy achieved landmark status with the latest storm.  Mother Nature continued to hook and jab at New England and landed some real haymakers yesterday. The storm started in the morning and seemed kind of mild with just moderate accumulation through mid-morning.  Right around noon time the skies really opened up and inside of a half hour we had more than doubled what had fallen up to that point. 

The View out my Office Window When the Snow Started in Earnest

Since I’m still fighting the cold my excellent boss kicked me out of the office around 2pm – right into the teeth of storm.  It took me nearly an hour and a half to reach the geographic snow center of New England – Charlton (an hour longer than normal).  My street had yet to be plowed as this snow descended in amounts no one could keep up with.

Snow Level When I got Home - Following Buddy's Exit

The highlander made a gallant effort at the driveway but never stood a chance against the 8” that were already on the hilly entrance.  I have a standard procedure when this happens.  My execution was a little off yesterday as I backed (slid) too far and ended up in my neighbor’s front yard teetering on top of the snow bank.  I was most concerned that the long awaited town snow plow would choose that moment to arrive (instead of the usual just after I finish clearing the driveway).  If the plow did come the car would be even more buried in my neighbor’s yard.

Snow Drift on the Back Deck - Pre-Buddy

First things first, I deployed my gallant little snow blower (my love for this machine is reaching inappropriate levels at this point).  We made short work cutting an entrance into the driveway but the car was another story.  I ended up using the snow blower and a shovel to free up the wheels of the car.  It was at this moment the neighbor (whom I haven’t met yet) drove in.  I have to admit he handled seeing a car parked in the middle of his front yard with some guy snow blowing around it fairly well.  He gave a knowing nod and let me go about freeing up his newest yard ornament. 

And After

After three attempts I was able to get enough snow cleared away and narrowly missed a telephone pole as I burst free of the snow bank.  I slalomed my way up the hill and into the garage, feeling I had barely dodged the ignominious and humiliating fate of calling for a tow truck.  Buddy was ecstatic at my early arrival and the blanket of snow available for cavorting. 

My Best Friend Out in the Driveway Yesterday

The snow kept up for another couple hours and then stopped all of a sudden, cueing the neighborhood to burst into noise as snow blowers started to clear away the carnage.  We had a least a foot of snow to clear and when I got outside I learned that while the snow had stopped the precipitation had not.  I spent the next hour clearing the driveway as freezing rain descended.  I’m not sure this is the preferred treatment for an incipient cold but we shall see. 

When I Finished the Driveway

The ice continued to fall well into the night and finished off with a semi-spectacular (and rare) winter thunder ice storm (like I said – haymakers).  Buddy went into his usual panic attack and tried to climb onto the table I was working a puzzle on.  This was not a good or welcome move. 

I Was Still Able to Smile (Kind of)

I awoke this morning trying to figure out how I was going to clear the ice when I looked outside to find the ice had turned to snow overnight and I had another 4” of the white stuff to clear (on top of the inch thick ice).  It was at this point my Panama envy ascended to its current lofty status.

Back Yard This Morning - Ice Covered Trees

Meanwhile in Panama my wife enjoyed an idyllic day with her sisters who are free from work this week.  They journeyed back up to the mountain village of Boquete which was having some kind of bizarre Mardi Gras celebration, attended mostly by gringos.  My valentine had a great time with her sisters but was worried how I sounded on the phone.  She spent a good deal of time providing “expert” medical advice that I would be loath to ignore; chicken soup was prominent.  I told her I missed Panama and then hastily added her to the statement (no moss growing on this marital veteran).  Judging from the pictures below, she a little bit better day than I did.

My Wife and Her Sisters Yesterday - Yep - A Little Warmer There

The Mardi Gras

Photobombing a Young Indian Girl in Traditional Dress

My Beautiful and Warm Valentine