Let it Snow 2008!

They say it was the snowiest January in 40 years. And, I guess "they" ought to know. I have put away the newspaper account with the exact amount, but I will update this when I find out. All I know is....it snowed before Christmas, about December 18th, 2007......and we have not seen the ground yet. Then it snowed good, a few feet, the week after Christmas. We left for Northern Nevada to visit on New Year's Eve. I understand it then snowed here the day after we left.......the week after we left........and the days we were supposed to be going back home, delaying our arrival by about two days. Upon our arrival home, about January 14th or so, it began to snow again.........and it snowed a lot......and then the first weekend of February came, and it snowed even more, actually cancelling the play Anne and Matthew were in at the college. Our very own Mount Shasta Ski Park had the most amount of snow at a ski resort in the nation, according to Ski Report dotcom . Our rivers and lakes will be so full this summer! Here are a few photo highlights from around Our Hearts' Haven........

The view off our front porch.....Black Butte in the background.

Another view of Black Butte, off our front deck. It is a volcano in its own right, I understand. Matthew and John G. have climbed to the top and seen our house from there.

The path behind our garage, before MORE snow came. Kids have to keep it clear. With Matthew sick, Garrett did more than he ever has in any year. Thanks, buddy!

The daytime view. Note the snow hanging overhead.

The next evening, the path is obliterated, yet again. See the overhang now!

Another angle of path and hanging snow....it is hard to tell in the photo, but
it is hanging off about six feet...and the snow on the end of the garage is about 4 feet thick, and very heavy, as Matthew is about to find out!

A close-up of the over-hang! Matthew had his first in a lifetime opportunity to shovel snow off of the garage roof. Marty was at work and stayed on the phone with us outside, making sure Matthew was safe before he went to bed for the night.

Poor Marty was unable to come home some of these nights......since so much snow was falling. He needed to be at the hotel early to plow the parking lot, so he just stayed there. Oh, and not to mention that our drive-way had a few 5 foot-tall drifts in the way. The plow did arrive the next morning....and the kids enjoyed the aftermath:

Malachy, King of the Mountain, after the first day the drive-way got plowed.

Close-up of King Malachy. After one more night of much snow and another plow job of the drive, there was an even higher hill to play on:

We wondered if this would be the last official time all six of the kids would be playing in the snow together, now aged 6yrs to 19yrs.

A close-up of the gang....from left to right, over the top:

Sarah, 14 (15 two weeks later), Matthew 17, Maddelyn 12.5, Garrett 10.8, Anne 19

and the wee fella in front, Malachy 6.

There is so much snow on the north side of the garage, the kids could climb onto the roof.........which they did and had a great time throwing snowballs from up there.

Sadie and Strider loved playing in the snow with us. They especially love chasing snowballs. Sadie had just been scolded for chasing a car.....she promptly came to the top of the hill to pout. How cute is that. She stayed like that for over five minutes.

Even I could not resist this once in forty years amount of snow! I actually climbed over the garden fence and I am sitting in the chicken run. As if the chickens will even dare to come out!

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Hey, did I mention that it is snowing as I write this..........and that we already have about five inches? :)

Blessings,

~C~