The March Lion Continues Roaring!

Yesterday afternoon, when N. and I left the house, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the temperature was 49 degrees (F). We did notice the clouds over the Sandias. And we were aware of the winter storm watch posted for the northeastern quarter of New Mexico. But when I dropped N. off at the library, it was 55 degrees and still sunny in Albuquerque's Northeast Heights. By the time I parked the truck at UNM, the temperature had dropped slightly, the wind had come up, cold and damp. Just before class began, I got a text-message informing me that the East Mountains were under a winter storm warning. Two-and-a-half hours later, as I left class, it was cold and windy and Albuquerque was under a cloud cover. The East Mountains were socked in. Still, I stopped at the grocery store and the pet store on my way home.

There was no snow in Tijeras Canyon, though the wind was strong and the trucks were going only 50 mph. But when I got off the freeway at Zuzax, I was met with flurries. The snow intensified as I climbed Sedillo hill, and the wind drove the snow straight at me, so that my headlights made a tunnel in the snow. And when I turned off on Via Sedillo, the howling wind blew the falling snow across my path, and also picked up the powder on the ground. The little Catholic Chuch was a ghostly presence, and I had to slow to 10 MPH and follow the center line to stay on the road. Still, the roads were wet but not snowpacked. But by the time Bruce and N. got back from Taekwondo a half-hour later, two inches were on the ground. Whoah! The NWS was not kidding about the storm warning this time.

This morning, we woke up to 9 inches,and the snow was still falling. It was a heavy,spring snow, making frosting on the fence, and weighing down the branches. Although the snowplow had not yet made it up our hill, the newspaper guy did. He's got to have 4WD!

We took the "short walk" today, Bruce and I together, because he was waiting on the snowplow. The short walk, around Teypana Drive and then through the meadow and up the hill to our house, usually takes about 20 minutes.

Today, as we broke trail through knee-deep snow in the meadow, it took 50 minutes. But it was so beautiful, the snow on the new fence, piled up with abandon on the shrubs and trees, the sky gray and snow still falling lightly.

In the woods south of the house, the snow was the deepest of all, and we lingered, taking pictures as the dogs broke trail. They were chest-deep in the snow, and moving slowly, snow on their tummies, and frost around their noses. Even their collars were coated in snow and ice.

By the time we got home, they were happy to be there, but it still took nearly ten minutes to sweep off four pairs of boots, two sets of pant legs, eight dog paws, and two dog bellies and chests.

By the time we got inside, the dogs were more than ready for breakfast, and even Zoey, Miss Picky Geriatric Eater, at a full breakfast .

Now the clouds are coming and going, as the center of the storm moves south and east, toward Union County and the Texas State Line.

We are still getting snow off-and-on, but I think it is safe to say that we have already gotten the lion's share of accumulation. My truck is buried, the rain guage is frosted, and the temperature is still well below freezing.

Although Bruce got off to work rather late with the Focus, which has front-wheel drive, I probably will not be going anywhere in the truck. It is not 4WD, and although I can get it down the snow-packed hill--probably--I will not be able to get it back up. So we are home for the day, like it or not.

Frankly, I rather like it. We are having a homeschool snow day, complete with a movie--Letters from Iwo Jima--a part of N.'s World War II study. We'll venture out to shovel a walkway up the drive later, and have hot chocolate made with real cream. I can taste it already!

I'll have to see if I can make it to class tonight. I think not.