Snow!
The year that Greer was born, there were rumblings of snow. As we nested inside the recovery room at Sunnyside KP, the skies fell and blanketed the area with a fine white coat. Thankfully, there was a break in the weather, and we were able to amble home - just before the next wave buried the area in an Antarctic jumble of ice and snow drifts.
Five years later, almost to the date - the big weather has returned. As we placed a plant on top of Schatzi's final resting place, the fat snowflakes began to fall...a harbinger of things to come. For over a week, winter held court in Portland - dumping almost two feet on our home. In true Portland fashion, a little rain fell inbetween snow flurries, turning the whole mess into a skating rink. Streets were sheets of ice and chains were required - just in time for the Christmas rush.
Alex, Greer and I hibernated...much as we did in 2003. Laptops dialed into the office, meetings were held at home, and the afternoons were punctuated with occasional outside visits for a snowball fight with the boy. As Christmas Eve - and our semi-annual family dinner loomed, the subject of the holiday roast came to the fore. The meat was loitering at Safeway, a few miles away across the frozen wasteland.
It was time to shovel the drive.
Wrapped in my green parka and sporting my all-weather boots, I grabbed a shovel and began to dig out. First a layer of powdered snow...then ice....then snow...then another wicked ice coating. The VW was entombed - so much so that it took 15 steaming pots of water to unthaw it enough for me to break apart the ice with a shovel (not good for the paint job BTW). Greer assisted for about 10 minutes, then retreated - as I continued to dig a path to the road. Alexis would peek between the blinds occasionally, to make sure I hadn't expired next to the rose bushes. By far the best workout of the year...or the closest I've been to a heart attack at least.
After high lining the car on an Antarctic snow berm that separated my driveway from the road, I managed to rescue the holiday roast from Safeway. I felt the hunter/gatherer gene surge within, and carefully navigated home - past legions of snowbound vehicles - the car brimming with all manner of sustenance.
Five years later, almost to the date - the big weather has returned. As we placed a plant on top of Schatzi's final resting place, the fat snowflakes began to fall...a harbinger of things to come. For over a week, winter held court in Portland - dumping almost two feet on our home. In true Portland fashion, a little rain fell inbetween snow flurries, turning the whole mess into a skating rink. Streets were sheets of ice and chains were required - just in time for the Christmas rush.Alex, Greer and I hibernated...much as we did in 2003. Laptops dialed into the office, meetings were held at home, and the afternoons were punctuated with occasional outside visits for a snowball fight with the boy. As Christmas Eve - and our semi-annual family dinner loomed, the subject of the holiday roast came to the fore. The meat was loitering at Safeway, a few miles away across the frozen wasteland.
It was time to shovel the drive.
Wrapped in my green parka and sporting my all-weather boots, I grabbed a shovel and began to dig out. First a layer of powdered snow...then ice....then snow...then another wicked ice coating. The VW was entombed - so much so that it took 15 steaming pots of water to unthaw it enough for me to break apart the ice with a shovel (not good for the paint job BTW). Greer assisted for about 10 minutes, then retreated - as I continued to dig a path to the road. Alexis would peek between the blinds occasionally, to make sure I hadn't expired next to the rose bushes. By far the best workout of the year...or the closest I've been to a heart attack at least.
After high lining the car on an Antarctic snow berm that separated my driveway from the road, I managed to rescue the holiday roast from Safeway. I felt the hunter/gatherer gene surge within, and carefully navigated home - past legions of snowbound vehicles - the car brimming with all manner of sustenance.
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