We've had some snow and lots and lots of wind, but, as always, it always manages to somehow be beautiful, even a big pile of snow that once covered the driveway.
A couple days ago this was a hard, heavy pack of drifted snow that sorta piled up in a hump about a foot high, snow that had to be moved by hand because the snow blower couldn't even begin to budge it. I chipped and chisled away the middle section to get out, then I got lucky. It snowed five inches overnight and the neighborhood snow plow guy, who I finally broke down and asked to plow the drivway for me this winter, not only moved the huge drift near the end of the driveway, but managed to get most of this with his BIG plow. Seriously, this is closer than I thought he could get with it, plus what was left was an easy shovel, so I'm feeling liberated again. Ha
On the other hand, I haven't even begun to tackle to sidewalk around the house and, quite frankly, may just ignore it and hope it melts. The snow blower just trucks along on top of this mess, so it's not helpful and, well, you already know I'm not shoveling all this. Got some ice skates?
It was really only about 1 p.m. when I snapped this on my way out of the library today, but looked like it was far later. Go figure, once I got home and back into indoor clothes, the sun came out and we even had some blue sky briefly, but I didn't venture back outside.
Huge piles of snow are everywhere, not just in my driveway. This one is toward the back of the library parking lot, looking across to the post office.
In front of the library, facing Main Street, the bicycle rake is pretty much rendered useless and you'd better have on snow pants if you sit down on the bench to rest a minute or two.
More piles of snow....and snow benches
I'm ot quite sure what this is. It was liberated from its original site during the three day windstorm we had (up to 80 mph winds) and is in an open area near Crusey Avenue, down by Wasilla Lake.
The McDonads menu board obviously took a beating, too, and is simply sitting on the ground while strapped to the metal posts that once held it. Out of range of the camera left there is a pile of twisted metal that is being piled up. Some looks like McD's, some looks like it just blew in. Yep, it was a wild few days.
This guy was sitting atop a corner of McDonalds watching us all go through the drive-through.
Back home, wandered out to the end of the driveway to shoot this picture. It's what was left behind in a huge pile by the street snow plow. Fortunately my driveway guy came after that and cleared my path. Phew.
Looking north, toward the Talkeetnas.
Betty's spruce tree with snow piled in front of it, lower left.
From the end of the driveway, looking back at the house. It was in the mid-20s at this point.
This ol' cord swing has hung here since I moved in and I've never once trusted it to try it out, but it does make a nice photo opportunity at times.
Standing in about the same spot I was in for the last photo but looking east past the snow pile toward the back yard.
Looking southerly, down across Idita-Park, Parks Hwy, and toward the Chugach Mts.
Posts
Wolf Moon, as seen through the trees
"I'm late, I'm late...." This seems to be a raven with things to do and places to go.
"Who are you and why are you taking my picture?"
"Put your left leg in and shake it all about..."
The string of lights seen in the foreground is a long string of Christmas lights left over from the holiday that marks the border of a make-shift hockey rink on the ice.
Some kids playing on the ice on Wasilla Lake.
The view across the lake.
The post seems to have become a welcome steadying hand for the kids, many of whom appeared to be relatively new to ice skating.
