Blizzard 2016

I awoke Friday already knowing I didn't need to go to school as it was cancelled because a blizzard was predicted to start in the afternoon. I still got up and drove my husband to work. Usually I only have time to drive him to the Rosslyn Metro. "I'll drive you all the way in. I have plenty of time," I reminded him. As we headed over the frozen Potomac River into DC, the sky was all white. "If it starts snowing, be sure to head back home," I warned Brian as I dropped him off.

Back home, hours went by and nothing. "I could have taught today," I thought. Then at 2pm, like the weather channel predicted, flakes started falling from the sky. They swirled down and started to sprinkle the front yard. Within an hour, Brian texted to say he was heading home by Metro. As I drove to retrieve him from the metro stop two miles from our house, the windshield wipers batted the snow off the car. The street was still black but the sidewalks were now white. As the sky got darker, the snow continued.

I stood looking out on the bench on my rooftop deck and I took this photo at 7:29pm to show the Blizzard's progress.

And this one at 11:59pm, just before falling asleep.

It was snowing when I awoke Saturday morning and continued to snow all day long. I was warm inside my new house. I happily read a whole book and watched some TV and made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and a beef stew and watched it snow and snow and snow.

And then, the next day - Sunday - at 1:18pm, when the sky was blue again I took this photo. It is my rooftop deck but instead it looks more like a playpen filled with white foam and no bench in sight!

I took pictures also of the patio table on the back porch as the blizzard progressed:

When I stuck a yardstick in what looked very much like a BIG white bundt cake, it measured 18 inches!!

This was my first time watching it snow for 30 straight hours and recording its progress.
My feelings started as, "So cool!"
Then, "Yep, still snowing...it's so pretty."
To, "Has it stopped yet?"
Finally, "Hurrah, blue sky!"
"Oh, my...this is a lot of snow..."
"Will we ever return to work and a normal schedule?"

As I type this story on Monday, I received a text saying that school will remain closed for Tuesday and Wednesday, too. I get why. No plow has been on my street yet and until one comes, I can't drive. Brian took a walk today to make sure he can walk the two miles to the Metro stop tomorrow and he can so he will go to work on Tuesday.

And I'll stay home and watch the white bundt cake out back melt some more.
And maybe I'll see the bench soon.
And maybe I'll have school soon again, too.