...and this one...
I keep asking myself why 2 intelligent people with a gorgeous boat in Florida are dealing with this??????
Since slogging through the snow on my treacherous ride home today (it took slightly more than 2 hours to travel 12 miles), the captain and I have become captives of the Blizzard of 2013. Yes the snow is fluffy and pretty to look at as long as you're inside and not needing to go anywhere, but this is not where we're supposed to be. The forecast is for close to 2 feet of snow in our neck of the woods. That translates into a very expensive driveway plowing bill (they're here now plowing - every scrape I hear is about $5). Instead of palm trees waving in a gentle breeze, I fear the branches of the trees will break under the weight of the snow as the wind punishes them with its force (wind gusts predicted to be up to 60 mph during the night). If we lose power this time, we're in trouble - there is no Serenity nearby to shelter us.
As we speak, Serenity is on her winter vacation in Stuart, peacefully (and warmly) bobbing comfortably in her slip. Why we are here and she is there is THE question. I've tried to rectify this error of location by purchasing tickets to visit Serenity for another week in March, but right now, March might as well be a century away.
After attending the Krogen breakfast during our trip to Stuart in January, Tom and I have become a part of the email list for Sunset Bay's Krogen happenings. Very few days go by without an email announcing yet another event. Last week/weekend was the raft-up at Peck Lake, the trip to the botanical gardens, the Book Club meeting and the impromptu cocktail party on a KKY over at Loggerhead Marina. While we love being a part of this incredibly fun-loving group, it's hard to be on the outside looking in right now.
Many of our dock friends will be heading to their exotic winter getaways at the end of this month, so I'm worried the dock will be quiet when we return. I've already sent the group an email announcing our arrival in March, so we're hoping that whomever is still around will come by and socialize. I actually booked our flights so that we would be there for a Tuesday Krogen breakfast.
Tom and I are going to work very hard this weekend planning for our upcoming trip, deciding on some fun things to do while we're there and pretending we are surrounded by sand and not snow. Reality will set in quickly enough when we step outside and shovel our way to our cars.
Speaking of cars, I drive a Ford Escape, which the captain and I fondly call "Bunnie's truckette".
That sweet pile of snow at the bottom of our delightful driveway is what saved me from joining the stranded on my way home. As soon as I can open the door, I'm going to brush her off so she can enjoy some well deserved sunshine.
Today I felt like kissing the hood when I finally arrived home. In fact, I did pat the hood, while saying thank you. The area we live in is very hilly (pretty in the pleasant months, a nightmare during the winter months). So many people got stuck in the snow trying to navigate hardly noticeable hills, that traffic was hopelessly gridlocked everywhere (hence the 2 hour trip home). In 2 cases, having 4 wheel drive saved me. The first time involved a small car 2 cars ahead of me - the light turned green, the car started up what is really a gentle incline and BAM, got stuck just beyond the intersection. I nearly cried with frustration. As soon as there was no oncoming traffic, I went into the opposite lane and drove around the now 2 stuck cars. Not much of a good samaritan I must admit, but I was getting pretty desperate by now. Less than 10 minutes later (it should have been 15 seconds), another car got stuck beyond another intersection trying to navigate a more noticeable hill. Again I'm 2 cars back. This time I was fortunate enough to be at the entrance to a small shopping center. One major problem though - the driveway was a considerable hill and the parking lot was not yet plowed. Not thinking for more than a second, I turned my little truckette into the driveway, stepped gently on the gas and never stopped until I got up into the parking lot. Very carefully continuing to keep moving through the lot, I came out on the other side, made a right turn and was soon at the street leading to my street. The sight of that street made me catch my breath - it's considered a secondary road and lightly traveled so there was LOTS of snow on the roadway. In addition to that wonderful condition, the road is narrow, winds a lot and is hilly. Got through that ok, now it was time to turn onto my street, what the town calls a tertiary road - that's Huntington-speak for a road they don't bother with until the bigger roads are plowed. This road is the site of sledding events after a major snowstorm - need I say more? Curves and a rather steep hill to negotiate before catching sight of the to of the driveway (barely). Notice I said "top"of the driveway? You guessed it, another hill. This time I was in no mood for any more maneuvering, so I just drove in and left the little wonder at the top of the driveway. The plow guys move the cars around for us so they can plow, so let them deal with the hill.
As usual, my timing is a bit off. The pictures I posted were actually taken this morning - the day after the blizzard. It took 10 minutes for me to get dressed in enough gear to just take the pictures. Good thing I never gave my ski clothes away - and even better, they fit just as they did 16 years ago! But I digress....I tried to take a picture of the measuring tape I used to measure the snowfall, but the tape is white and impossible to hold straight while pointing the camera and keep from getting blown away by the wind. The picture is so silly, I just had to share it!
Not only is the picture on its side, but you can see the camera strap dangling too! Better keep my day job! LOL In any case, our particular part of Long Island received the most snow in our area - about 3 ft! It's pretty, powdery, and will be around til the Easter Bunny pays us a visit.
Thanks for listening to my tale of adventure. I'm exhausted just recounting it! Stay safe and warm for those of you who live in this part of the country. For those who are smart enough to live in more temperate climates, I hope you enjoyed hearing about our blizzard.
My next post will be from Serenity's back porch, unless of course there is another adventure to share!
