Howlin'!

 After a week of snow most every day - today - Winter storm Gerri arrived!

Today - Non-stop blasting winds~

Yesterday was anti-climactic. The sun actually came out for a few minutes & we had 16 for our daytime high. Originally, we thought the snow was scheduled to start, but no!  It wasn't until late last evening the wind driven snow came blasting in.  I've spent the week shoveling snow.  It took a couple days to dig us out from the snow we received on the 9th.  I finished the drive to the Cabin yesterday afternoon.

1-9-24, Frozen sleet under the snow~

The frozen sleet made it almost impossible to clean off the Explorer.  I eventually got it to the point where I could get in & start it up - heat blasting.  Early afternoon, the sun came out & we actually had some melting, even though the temperature hovered at 20.

1-9-24 The woods 4:14 p.m. 

By late afternoon, Finn & I got in our walk & went over to the Cabin.  Even though I had the walkways clear, Finn would jump up into the piles of snow!  

This morning, with the winds gusting to over 45-mph, I had to go out to clear the steps off the deck.  I removed some of the over two feet of snow that had blown in between the steps & the house.  The blowing snow hit me in the face & felt like tiny pieces of sand.  With the feel's like in the -20's my cheeks were frozen in no time.  

The deck, after I'd removed 4" of blown in snow...

I'd left the back door cracked open, in the hope Finn would take it upon himself to come out.  I'd just gotten the deck cleaned off when he ran out!  He jumped off the last step & went right into the big snowdrift on the side of the hill!  He disappeared under the snow, but I could follow his progress as he tunneled down the hill to the solar panels!  Even with the wind, the snow there is only a few inches deep & he took advantage of that.  

I did what I could to clear him an area, but before I was done, here he came, back up the steepest & deepest part of the hill!  He managed to keep his nose above the snow!  He reached me, shook & ran for the door!  Talk about a tough guy!  

The Cabin~

I took the photo above from the west bedroom window.  Even through my heavy gloves, my fingers were numb by the time I was done.  The snow is to let up later today, but then the temperatures drop even more.  We're supposed to go below zero tonight & even lower until Tue. of next week!  

The smart thing to do~

So, if you're smart, you curl up in your little bed, by the oil heater & go to sleep!  The wind is roaring outside, the snow is flying by the windows & we're all hoping the power stays on!