Huzzah!

I am happy to report that my project was a success!

Before

After

The entire deck is shoveled! Well...the areas around the planters have a bit of snow around them but I figure that will melt fairly quickly. We are suppose to get another round of snow this week (as is most of the country, even my beloved Oklahoma) but I have a really good feeling about winter being on a downturn. I know that we are getting an epic storm on groundhog day which probably means 8 more weeks of winter but I have a good feeling so we'll see. Honestly, I am just happy that temperatures will start getting high enough to slowly melt the snow. I was chatting with my neighbor about how my mom told me it was 70 degrees a few days ago in Oklahoma and how I was so jealous. He said that it would be a big problem if it got even up to 50 degrees because the snow would melt too quickly causing flooding in our basements. It's strange that almost all homes here have basements but back in Oklahoma, right in tornado alley, no one really has basements...kind of weird.
One reason I started this blog was to talk about how things are different in the north and I have recently learned about "ice dams."To learn about ice dams Apparently, when it snows a bunch homeowners either have to clamor up on their roofs themselves to get all the snow off the roof or hire someone to do it. Luckily, my neighbor tried to do it himself and failed miserably and now is having a friend do his, another neighbor and mine for a discounted rate (still several hundred dollars). It is a huge help because some buildings locally have been collapsing under the weight of the snow and then ice dams can cause winter damage in the home. All my neighbors have been incredibly nice--snow blowing our driveway, helping clear around the mailbox and generally assuring me that this is incredibly unusual. Apparently, no one has had to hire someone to clear their roof since 95/96 winter when they got 115" of snow in one winter. We are at 71" so far with almost all of that in January. Right now we are at the 11th most snowy winter, but after this week I think we will easily be in the top 10. The gap between the snowiest winter and the 2nd snowiest is huge: 115" for number 1 and 84.9" for number 2. Lets hope my good feeling is indicative of a calming mother nature...please?
Praying for an end to the snow apocalypse,
Steph
Top 10 Snowiest Winters for Connecticut:
Here is a list of the 10 snowiest seasons on record: 1995-96 115.2”, 1993-94 84.9”, 1966-67 82.8”, 1977-78 82.3”, 1960-61 80.2, 1945-46 79.9”, 1947-48 77.7”, 1915-16 77.1”, 1955-56 76.1”, 2004-05 74.1”.
-from http://www.wfsb.com/technicaldiscussion/index.html

Snowy Weather

January 2011in Connecticut is officially not only the most snowy January on record, but also the most snowy month ever in Connecticut. My first New England winter and it is a record breaker :) How ridiculous! I love snow and most people say to just enjoy it...but I can't. My husband doesn't have the option of not going into work so we get up at 4am to shovel the driveway and then I proceed to worry while he drives into work and then worry some more when he drives back home. It also makes me painfully miss Oklahoma. I love how Oklahoma gets a few inches of snow and everything shuts down and then in a few days temperatures rise to the 50s and it all melts. We got over two feet of snow on Christmas and it is still here. There have been several mid level storms since then and  last night we had another foot and a half. It has been so cold that only negligible amounts have melted so the snow banks are getting huge. I haven't kept up with shoveling my deck so it has chest level snow on it.

My deck is under there somewhere...you can't even see the chiminea anymore!

Before the big snow last night, I had decided my new project would be clearing the deck so I could at least sit outside and enjoy the crisp, cool weather with a nice chiminea fire. That plan may have to be put on hold because once snow is this deep it is such a pain to shovel (although I may try since Logan is on call on Saturday).
My point in writing this is just to say that moving up north from the south is really hard and there are tons of things to adjust to but all you can do is make it work (Tim Gunn is a wise man). Yeah, I am less than thrilled about having multiple feet of snow on the ground but it is giving me a chance to learn how to cross country ski and how cool is that? There is a store up the road that rents equipment and people from my neighborhood ski through the woods behind our houses and there are tons of cross country skiing places around CT, many within just a few miles. This winter has really been a challenge (and it is not even over!) but all we can do is rise to the occasion with a smile. I miss my home...but I am slowly making a new one.
Happy Trails,
Steph

A bit of Sun

Good Evening lovely readers,
I wanted to say a quick word to let you know that I won't be posting for a few weeks because I am heading on vacation. Funnily enough, my husband is holding down the fort and supplying the kitties with copious amounts of food and catnip. I have been trying to convince my mom that she should go on a vacation forever and when she decided to go she invited me along. We are actually heading to a Couples Resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica which I find hilarious because I think most will assume we are a same sex couple (by the way, I think same sex couples are awesome, I just think it's funny that people will think my mom and I are one). I think we will have an amazing time hanging out on the beach, drinking fruity cocktails and generally relaxing. It is a pleasure to leave this 24" of snow so until I get back hope everyone has a great weekend! Any fun plans for Valentine's Day?

When life gives you snow, make snow ice cream

I wrote my last post while we were getting 14" of snow. At the time I was very impressed by the plethora of snow. Now, I realize that 14" is nice but try 26". We got 26" yesterday. Literally over two feet of snow in a little over 12 hours...ridiculous!

I spent 5 hours shoveling the driveway and now I walk stooped over like an old woman. Yes, it's pretty sexy. I leave for Jamaica on Sunday and can I just say thank goodness? I feel bad about leaving Logan to fend for himself but at least I left him with the recipe for snow ice cream.

Snow Ice Cream
8 Cups of clean snow...I tend to brush off the first inch  although lets be honest, you are eating something from off the ground so you can't be too picky.
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp of vanilla
Optional:
Baileys or Kahlua or Peppermint Schnapps
Chocolate syrup

Mix, consume and be happy :)

Off to go sledding,
Steph