All-Purpose Flower: Intentionally Snowbound

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Intentionally Snowbound

Snow in the Pacific Northwest is an oddity. When it's forcasted there is doubt, when it does snow there is pandemonium. Well, we've had snow - a lot of it - since Thursday. In two days we accumulated about 8-9". I grew up, and learned to drive, in snow in Southern Oregon. I waited at my school bus stop in the snow several months out of the year. I remember that Portlanders were ridiculed for their reaction to snow and their inability to drive in it.

I've lived in the Portland Metro area long enough to understand that this snow is different (wetter, slicker) and that the people driving in it may not be able to drive in rainy conditions let alone have any experience driving in snowy conditions. They see a car slide down the hill ahead of the them and crash, then proceed to do the same. Meanwhile, our local news stations can't get enough.

So I have parked myself here at home. I have gone on a couple of walks in the snow and have been watching the birds try to skate across the layer of ice that covered our deck last night.

Chris on the other hand has put on chains, driven on multiple excursions, sledded, tried out his cross country skis, played with the dog, and has been monitoring thermometers, snow depth, and several weather stations.

Despite starting to feel a little cabin fever, I picked up a real book and did some reading. Last night I took a look at a new container gardening book I got for Christmas. Lot's of cool ideas there and finally the inspiration I needed to get interested in planning my garden. I also took some photos of the deck as it was slowly buried in snow. I have to assume that the flowers I recently planted will not be coming back.