January 2014 Snow Fun

Well, I guess we're making up for lost time this year.  Seems like every year, my kids are disappointed with the snowfall.  I think they are highly satisfied this year.  The downside has been the super cold temperatures.

Early in January we had about a foot of snow.  We did make it to French Lick that weekend prior and had a great time in the water park.  We headed back a little early the next day and hit snow about thirty minutes from home.  We didn't leave the house again for a full 48 hours.  We couldn't.  It wasn't even possible to attempt an escape because of the high snow drifts on our lane and on the road.

We lost power for about 23 hours and it almost did us in.  Not being able to leave and not having electricity in this day and age is not a good combination.  We did figure out a few things though:

1) You can cook a frozen pizza on a gas range, using a cookie sheet and tin foil.  It actually was delicious.  2) Running the car in the garage with a converter hooked to the battery will run the TV or charge two devices.     3) Headlamps are awesome.  I wore one while knitting a hat.  Jay wore one walking around the house.  They are great.  You need them in your house.  4) Although the pigs in the barn need heat, so does the family in the house.  However, removing heat from the barn to bring to the house will result in busted water lines.  5) No matter how awesome this thing called WIFI is, if you do not have electricity, the WIFI does not work.  It took a while for the kids to accept this.

6)  We will survive, even if we have to resort to old-fashion fun...which doesn't require WIFI.  7)  Regardless of how bad you think you have it, someone else has it worse.  Our power was only out 23 hours, others were without it much longer.

As always, it's not as bad as it seems at the time.  The next day our power was restored, which was great, even though we were still snowed in for a while.

About mid-day, our road was opened up and our drive was plowed.  Jay went on to work.  I attempted to leave and got about 50 feet from the garage before returning. I just stayed home.  Jay took this picture on his way to work about a half mile from our house.  It had been a very, very tall snowdrift.  Even the V-plow had a little trouble busting through it.

I took advantage of the snow days and tried out a new Fair Isle hat pattern.  (See, I don't need power to fuel my addiction...just a headlamp.)  I think I need more snow days!