The High Sierras, aka Arctic Circle
January 29, 2008 | Filed under: Stuff
What we’re doing. Digging out.
And I should say, I’m using that “we” term VERY loosely here. Alpha Man uses both the snow blower and the shovel far better than I do. Yesterday he tried to show me how to use the big machine for the hundredth time. We stood before the great beast and our conversation went like this:
Him: Okay, so what comes first?
Me: The chicken. Definitely the chicken before the egg.
Him: I meant what comes first to start the snow blower, smart ass.
Me: Um . . .
Him: (Big sigh) The choke. You have to push the choke in, remember?
Me: Absolutely. Um, where’s the choke again?
He showed me, with admirable patience really. Then he said “Now what?”
ME: I think the oven timer is going off.
Him: Liar. You haven’t cooked anything since two nights ago when you set off every fire alarm in the house.
Me: I meant to do that.
Giving up on me, he handled the snow blower while I shoveled the decks. And all I have to say is if you’re looking for toned arms and burning oh, at least a million calories, go shovel four feet of snow off two decks. Here’s the view from our downstairs deck:
Here’s the view out my den window (3rd floor) right before Alpha Man had to climb onto the roof and knock down the icicles and toss off some of that snow before we had big problems with the roof. I don’t have pictures of that because I was holding my breath that he wouldn’t fall and break his neck and leave me to figure out that damn snow blower on my own.
And here’s the stump of a tree we lost last summer because it was a fire hazard. It has just a little snow on it. And . . . okay and I’m putting it here because one look at its slight tilt and suggestive shape and it made me giggle. There. I’m ridiculously juvenile. Sue me.
On that high note, I have to go handle about twenty loads of laundry, write pages for my wonderful editor who is waiting, and on top of that, I’m determined to cook something without setting off the fire alarms. I have my pride to regain.
Posted by Jill @ 1:00 am | Make a Comment
Jessica Raymond says:
Oh my Lord, I’ve never seen so much snow in my life! I hope you *do* have Ugg boots.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 2:09 amJudy F says:
wow. I would love to come see all that snow. We haven’t had much snow this winter at all. Stop hogging it. LOL..
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 3:43 amStacy ~ says:
We’re supposed to get more snow, and let’s just say, I’m willing to do without. Jude, I’ll send some your’s and LadyB’s way.
Jill you’re so funny – like Beavis & Butthead with that tree stump. Heh heh heh.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 4:09 amBayou Woman says:
I’m sure it gets to be old and a headache to deal with, but that snow and ice is so beautiful. I’ve never been in snow or ice like that in my life. Great photos, especially the old tree stump. Funny!
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 5:57 amBW
Patty L. says:
The pictures are beautiful and the stump inspired. :rotfl:
Good luck on cooking dinner without setting off the alarms. My mom still hasn’t master it. We didn’t even know if ours worked in a really situation until my mom came over to cook dinner. LOL :rotfl:
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 6:13 amapril says:
As we say in my house, if the smoke alarms don’t go off, how do we know dinner is done?
My dad went away when we got snow and ice and we did give it the old college try… literally. We lived in sweats, ate junk food and didn’t leave the couch for three days in a pseudo-vegetative state. It had to melt sometime.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 6:16 amLaurie says:
I don’t think I’ll ever complain about the snow again – even our very biggest snowfalls pale in comparison to yours!
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 6:39 amDevon Ellington says:
It’s a heck of a lot of work, but it sure looks pretty.
YOU’RE doing laundry? I thought you’d gotten HIM to take over the laundry chores?
Uh, oh!
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 6:59 amnaomi says:
That’s a lot of snow. When I was still living in Canada, dumps of snow like that were the norm. But in the midwest, not so much. I kinda miss. The beauty of it, that is. No way do I miss shoveling.
Um, is it juvenile of me to have a fit of giggles when looking at that stump? If so, I’m in good company.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 7:00 amBailey Stewart says:
April – :rotfl:
I noticed the stump before I read what you said – where does that put my mind? :wigglebrow:
I’d just like a little bit of that, okay. Send it Fed-ex.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 7:03 amLiza says:
The snow looks so beautiful, but I’m sure you are so ready for it to go away. Good luck with dinner and no smoke alarms. I have to set timers to make sure nothing burns in my house. I start reading or watching tv and totally forget what is in the oven. Of course, we ate burnt toast for breakfast most mornings when I was growing up.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 7:05 amThe Hunter's Wife says:
I love the snow as long as I don’t have to drive in it.
Cute stump picture. lol!
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 7:49 amShelly says:
Play dumb with the snowblower but make a mental note how it starts….. just in case you should run out of cookies and have to have UPS next-day some in.
And that stump! oh my
….sure gives new meaning to “having wood”. (I couldn’t resist)
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 8:03 amT. A. Anderson says:
That is too much snow! We’re at -50C with windchill. Wanna swap?
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 8:09 amJill says:
The snow just slid off the tip of the stump . . .
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 9:00 amAndey says:
Poor stump.
Guess it’s too cold for it to perform. Or maybe it has performance anxiety cause we’re all looking.
Bake cookies. I bet you won’t be as inclined to let cookies burn. Plus you need to replenish your calories after all that shoveling. Right? It does work that way, doesn’t it?
Do they cancel school when you have snow like that? Around here 2 or 3 inches is enough to get school cancelled for days.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 9:10 amJill says:
If we get a foot or more, sometimes school is canceled. Mostly we get late starts, which means the kids start two hours after the regular start time, giving the county time to clear the roads.
And me time to GO CRAZY. LOL.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 9:14 amAllie says:
We had about 2-3 inches of snow here yesterday morning. That is probably the most we will get for the winter.
I can’t even imagine 4 feet. And you seem to get that on a pretty regular basis. I am wondering, whose idea was it to move there? Yours? Or the husband with all the giant snow-moving machines? 
My husband and I bought 10 acres and presto my husband instantly needed a tractor so he could mow it. What did he do? He spent all last summer RESTORING the tractor instead of MOWING. 
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 9:22 amBrandy says:
I wish it snowed like that here. Poor stump. *g* Reminds me of white asperegus. *G* Why do I have the feeling you know how to work the snowblower?
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 9:51 amCourtney says:
OMG Jill. Is every winter like this? I grew up in Michigan and I thought we got a lot of snow-but you guys put us to shame.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 10:09 amSuzanne says:
LOL. Wow that is a LOT of snow, and that last pic is hilarious.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 10:52 amSusan says:
How many snowmen have you and the family made? I loved the stump photo! :rotfl:
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 12:12 pmDonna M says:
It is so pretty & I know by now it isn’t fun anymore! I can’t even imagine that much snow!
My mind was going the same direction on the stump!! :wigglebrow:
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 12:49 pmMy toaster oven once set off the smoke alarm here!!! It was good to know it worked!
We are having light rain & cold (well, cold for here!) at this late in the morning (11:46) it is still only 38 degrees! Yesterday we actually had no rain & a little bit of sun! I’m so ready for a week of sun!! Our winters in this area of the state are usually pretty mild but this one has been cold, cold!!!
ames says:
I’m waaay jealous! We have -40 F weather, barely any snow but strong, gusting winds. I want snow!! LOL
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 1:51 pmCryna says:
OMG that is a lot of snow. We have had a bit of snow (and I say bit because compared to what you got it isn’t even in the same league), but we have had the past two days of really cold. We woke up to -32C (-25F) and winds making the wind chill -49C (-56F). I am so ready for Spring and looking at your snow, only makes it more so…………
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 3:17 pmLis says:
I’d take snow over the cold here right now. -30s that feels like -50C is just plain wrong :thumbsdown:
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 4:16 pmJSL says:
I haven’t gotten nearly that much snow where I live, but I’m done with it, thankyouverymuch. It was in the 40s today – which I really enjoyed. Finally “warm” weather. Unfortunately, it rained, and I’m sure it’ll all freeze and bring more snow. Which means salt and dirty roads and cars. I didn’t really think about the stump until your comments, and I did snicker to myself – very mature – and now I can’t see it any other way. *laughs*
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 5:17 pmDru says:
Can you please send some of that snow to the east coast? I need a couple of days off from work.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 5:31 pmjeanne says:
Good thing you got a pic first before it disappeared lol. My husband thought when he bought our small snow blower that I would take over all snow duties – nope – this is the same man that I tried to show how to use a washing machine which he has never ever used!!!
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 5:47 pmLeah says:
I like to pretend like I’m a total prude because I want to teach my husband and my boys how to treat a lady. (So I would never admit this to my man), but that snow-capped tree stump totally cracked me up. Here he comes … gotta go.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 at 8:51 pm