I finally made it home today after a prolonged stay in Eastern ND because of the winter/spring storm that hit the whole state and some surrounding states this weekend. It had everything...temperatures right at freezing for the perfect formation of sleet and freezing rain, wind to blow snow across the slush covered roads and form ice patches and ALOT of snow.
We knew it was happening on Sunday as we sat at my parents' house with the interstates closed and no travel advised for most of the state. The snow accumulation map had a bullseye ever Bismarck with estimations of 12-16 inches of snow. I saw people on Facebook showing snow piled against their patio doors and burying their recently uncovered grills and outdoor furniture.
I had my car and Justin had a company vehicle that happens to be an SUV so he headed back on Monday to see what awaited back at home. I had to wait because my car couldn't get out of my parents' driveway. Imagine, if you will, a big, wet mut pit with pools of melted snow and deep ruts. Then dump six inches of water dense snow on top of it and set the temperature at about 33 degrees. That was my first hurdle. Then imagine an unmarked gravel county road that gets plowed after the paved roads and the gravel roads important enough to have signs. Make it soft and muddy and dump the same snow on it and add some two foot drifts and that was my second hurdle. After an afternoon of melting on Monday I was able to get out this morning when the mud was still firm from freezing over night. My car looks like someone threw clods of mud all over it but I don't care enough to go to a car wash. With the weeks of melting ahead I think that would just be a waste.
Being stranded is so annoying. If I had to be trapped anywhere I guess "home" is not a bad place. It would have been very relaxing except the house isn't exactly baby proofed and Ben is into everything! I think I trailed him as he climbed up and down the stairs five hundred times. I tried to do some favorite snow day activities including reading and doing a puzzle but he makes it impossible to let your guard down for even a few minutes. At least we weren't missing anything important. The worst part was the knowledge that it is April and most of the country has green grass and blooming trees right now. It will melt...it will melt...it will melt...I love wearing boots...I love wearing boots...I love wearing boots...
So, here you go...the pile from our driveway.
UGHHHH...those poor bulbs are under there somewhere. If you could have heard my inner monologue as I was driving around town today you would have heard nothing but a string of expletives. It is a mess. I have rarely seen a more half-a$$ed plowing job. It was an official snow emergency so I know they just did the minimum to make the streets passable but it is bad. You can't see over the snow banks to make a turn and, speaking of turns, the turning lanes are still buried. Cars left on the streets are buried up to the roofs.
Oh well. As a friend pointed out on Facebook yesterday, we must keep our perspective and not worry about things that aren't really that bad.
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