Almost Spring

Spring is just around the corner (one week away) here in the Pacific Northwest and as winters go, we’ve had a relatively mild one.

I live in the foothills of the Cascades and we had no measurable snow at all this winter. However, in the past several years we’ve had massive snowfalls. Just a few years ago we had a snow storm that is affectionately referred to a “snowmageddon” by the locals.

There was maybe 2 1/2 feet of snow in 24 hours, but as it blew around town it created huge drifts. At our office, we had the mine our way through 4 1/2 foot snow drift to get to the back door.

On Wednesday, March 11, we had a severe storm with high winds. With trees over 100 feet tall all around us, the wind is a very scary thing. I watch these massive tall trees from the window as they do pirouettes and sway back back-and-forth.

In December during a relatively strong windstorm, but not as strong as this one Wednesday night, we had 120 foot cedar tree fall next to the barn. It missed the barn by a good 10 feet and missed our well head by only 3 feet. We were told had it hit our well, we would have been without water for a while.

Wednesday night many branches came down but thankfully no trees. Not so lucky for some people in other parts of town. One neighborhood had six trees fall over the road. Several people had branches come through their roof.

The downed trees all over the area knocked out power from Bellevue to the pass that kept us without power for nearly 24 hours.

I made a comment yesterday to several people, “I would rather have 3 feet of snow than this wind.”

Well, the good Lord must have heard my grumble because this morning I woke up to 4 inches of wet, sticky snow on the ground and clinging to trees.

I trotted outside in my nightgown with broom in hand to knock the snow off of the ornamental trees in my yard. The weight of the snow had already caused several branches to break. My home security cameras caught me outside with the broom. I look rather small in this vast snowy landscape.

It is still snowing and up to 7 inches of accumulation. Now I’m crossing my fingers that it doesn’t accumulate to 3 feet!

I have always said after a big snowfall that the world looks so beautiful, calm, and peaceful. When I look out over the landscape, it seems that all should be right in the world. Oh if only the snow could bring that to pass.