After the Big Storm

I think our last storm was a bust! The weather reports from early that week (2 1/2 weeks ago) were indicating some 20 inches in five days. Then 15...then 12. We got 4. Yes, weathercasters are idiots!

But they promised us this would be a storm equivalent to 2005 (Jan. 9th). That storm changed the landscape of the creek and made the water flow for a year and a half! It moved boulders the size of Volkswagens! So I was hopeful! Everyday, Mabel and I trudged out there and I dutifully took photos from four vantage points. And yes, four inches did do something...but really, if it doesn't take out a few holes on the golf course...it's not worth talking about!

I am relieved that the mudslides were kept to a minimum. And I am grateful for more water, albeit, BURNT water, in the creek. The smell is so strange. Mabel gets in and rolls around so I bring home the smell of burnt water.

The one neat thing is that we had the most snow in our local foothills that I've seen in 10 years!


That Saturday (1/23) was COLD! I was awake early and snuggled in bed with the girl when all the power went off. No sense in staying in a cold house when you can hike and warm up! So I loaded Mabel in the car and realized... I needed to scrape ice.


It took a while to find the scraper in the car and my hands got so cold, I ran back inside to find my gloves.



After scraping all the windows, I jumped in the car and hit the remote for the gate...NO POWER!!!

And... I couldn't find the manual opener for the gate. I seem to remember having some conversation with Mom when she was here. Her wondering what that tool was lying the driveway and me telling her to leave it there... but it was nowhere to be found.

So we came in the house, built a fire and waited. It was another hour before we had power and finally got to go enjoy the mountains... and buy a new gate opener at the hardware store on the way home!