Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas Day-5:30pm

Merry Christmas!!!
This is what it looked like by Christmas Eve night. The windshield wipers in the air crack me up--but make me wonder if that is a good idea or not? Might make it easier to scrape the windows, ya think? Not sure.
I think we'd had about 7 inches by last night.
There was just a little snow that made it into the porch. Karma knows to poke at the snow trapped by the screen to make it fall down between the gaps...
...so she can eat it. We hadn't had much wind up till that point last night.
But there was just enough snow that Karma could track in paw prints of snow to eat. Oh the little joys in life, eh? hehe!
We were up all night again. The wind picked up and the blizzard conditions raged in the dark. Karma doesn't like the sound of the wind gusting against the building.
This is Christmas Day evening. The snow has let up for a bit, but you can see how the wind has caused much drifting. The snow is up 1/3-1/2 the way up the garage doors. My garage door faces this same direction in the row behind this one. *sigh* Can't lift with a shovel (I push with my foot). When it gets this high I either have to wait until Dagan and Leah can come and shovel me out or until it melts--hehe! (Don't worry--I am on the busline if I really had to get out for an appointment or something.) They're saying it will still keep snowing off and on tomorrow, too, and that we could get another 1-3 inches.
There is somebody in the parking lot right now rocking their car back and forth--trying to get out of their parking spot. That's what people have been doing all day by the looks of it--shoveling their cars out.
Since I was taking pictures before the sun set, I quick snapped one of the porch. Karma was still eating her canned food treat ( I give her extra for Christmas), so she hasn't been out on the porch yet. Doesn't know this wonderland is waiting for her--hehe!
The wind wasn't blowing our direction a lot of the time, I guess. But enough to get quite a bit of snow thru the screen for Miss Karma--hehe!
Interstate 94 was closed border to border across North Dakota because of this blizzard. Definitely a very white Christmas this year.
Hope you all had a safe, wonderful Christmas!! :):)

9 comments:

Serena Lewis said...

I remember the winds in Wyoming too.....very gusty and strong. They would bellow all night long making us glad we were indoors. What happens to the snow that builds up on your porch, Rita? Do you have to shovel it out or does it melt and drain away?

I'll bet Karma enjoyed her extra Christmas treat ~ :)

Rita said...

Hi Serena!
The floor of the "porch" is actually spaced boards. I just nailed down some outdoor carpeting over it (to keep the mosquitoes out), so it just drains down as it melts.

My "porch" is actually just an enclosed balcony. I just enclosed it more--hehe! First Leah helped me install a mesh screen so that Karma could come out with me and I wouldn't have to worry about her falling from the third floor. Then I did the carpeting the next summer. Makes it quite cozy out there and I never have to worry about Karma being out there by herself.

We were surprised that all the wind and snow has not destroyed the mesh screen! We thought I'd have to pull it down (It's attached with outdoor velcro) every winter--but I have never taken it down. It is actually three of these cheap screens (you can buy to hang over a door to keep the bugs out) that I sewed together and cut the bottoms off--hehe! We ran out of the outdoor velcro on the bottom--so we have three shorter strips down there. Turns out that may be why it has held together--because there's a place for the snow to fall through--hehe! But that is also how flies, ladybugs, japanese beetles, and moths get in, too. Karma and I do love our little private porch! :):)

AliceKay said...

I hope you had a nice Christmas. Ours was nice and will continue today when my sister and her family get here from southern Pennsylvania. We're all getting together down at my parents' house this afternoon. (whenever i can manage to get out of work, that is)

Sure looks like a lot of snow out there. This is pretty much normal for your area, isn't it? Having such cold temps and lots of snow? Our winters aren't like they used to be, but we still get a good deal of snow and cold.

The "screened in porch" was a great idea. I'm glad it works so well for you. I'm sure Karma appreciates being able to go out there and play in the snow, too. :)

One question...if those buildings are garages, why aren't these vehicles parked in them?

Rita said...

Hi AliceKay,
So your Christmas is still going with family! :) Nice!

We get cold and snow, but our winters have been a bit odd, too. We normally don't have a lot of below zero weather already in December. But--we are used to cold and snow, that's for sure! Blizzards, ice storms, subzero weather, minus double digit windchills, snowstorms--all normal up here. :)

What Karma loves more is lying out there in the summer heat! Ick! She loves it. I stay inside with the AC--hehe!

They don't have enough garages for everybody who lives here, so some people park outside year round. Like if three people live in a 3-bedroom--well, a 3-bedroom only gets two garages. And a lot of them use their garages for storage and can't fit a car in there. I think some people have lost their homes, you know? That's why. Plus we don't have enough parking space for people, either. Once in a while it is really hard for visitors to find a place to park--especially at night. That's why I always have the Paseo (Dagan and Leah's old car they let me borrow) in the garage. Got to take the good with the bad, right? hehe! :):)

Serena Lewis said...

I think your porch looks very cosy and private too. It's great that Karma can go out there safely too because of the changes you and Leah made.

Serena Lewis said...

We use our garage as storage too though I'm currently doing it up and rearranging stuff so we can move Reece into the garage so Aaron can have a room of his own. Our double garage is accessible directly from the house and it just feels like another big room anyways.

A lot of people here use their garages as extra rooms/family rooms/storage etc. We do worry about hail storms but we need the extra room so it's a risk we have to take.

Rita said...

Hi Serena,
Karma would have been safe with just the screen, but the carpeting keeps mosquitoes out. They came up thru the gaps in the floorboards. (Plus now the people below me can't see up my skirt, so to speak--hehe!)

Yup! Garages aren't always used for cars--hehe! I hope Reece can fix it up out there so that it feels like home. When they are attached they do feel more like an additional room to the house. And he doesn't have to worry about freezing out there, either! :)

Intense Guy said...

I love that shot of Karma in the chair saying, "Which way did he go?!?!?!"

:)

I wonder if Karma would like a garage to play in...

Rita said...

Iggy--sometimes the wind gusts hitting the building do sound like somebody is right outside. I've always wondered how Karma could possibly be comfortable sitting sideways like she does on those chairs--hehe! ;)