(When you read this, you must use a very serious voice with a quiver)

The storm of the century came just as predicted.  All week the news has been warning us, cautioning us, to PREPARE. The news channels have been on high alert and reporters have been scattered across the greater Portland area to track the storm.   A storm such as this has not occurred for years.

Sure enough, the blizzard came in the night.  We woke up only to find that we had been snowed in.  School had been cancelled.

Out in the yard, the animals scurried around.  The birds, the squirrels, they didn’t know what to do.  Where would they find their food through the death of winter?

My mother, in the later years of her life, must be frightened…frightened by such a storm.  My mind goes crazy to think of her trapped in for winter.  Would she starve?  Isabel decided that she would brave the storm to check on her grandmother. Bundled up, she set out with this tracker dog.  Levi tested the contents of the snow to see if it was safe. He is a very talented tracking dog as well as vocalist. (see Keely Marie’s blog for proof).

Into the treacherous snow, across the meadow into the forest, over the river, to Grandma’s house they would go.

My husband, departed early this morning flying (on a plane) to Ohio for a Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant show.  Surely he would worry about us.  In his concern he texted this morning asking about the roads.  I responded.

“ The Toads are ok, but the snow has thickened.”

He wrote back, “I hate it when the snow gets thick on the toads.”

(Still using a serious voice)

I panicked when I realized that that I had texted a typo.  My glasses! I have misplaced them and made a serious typo only to confuse my worried husband who must be horrified at the idea of a toad invasion during a snow storm.  What could be worse?

Some people who have lived in other parts of the United States, such as the Dakotas, Colorado, Alaska, the Midwest, think that we are silly to shut down everything during these snowstorms.  Whatever! They make fun of us for cancelling school.  They say we make a big deal out of a small amount of snow.  I don’t know what they are talking about.

They do not see nor understand that this crazy storm is life threatening.

We dug our way out this morning to measure the depth of the snow.

I was thankful we had such a large ruler.

Isabel made it home safely from Grandmas house.  I had worried that she might get lost in the snow, but thankfully she built herself landmarks along the way so she could find her way back.

They say the weather conditions won’t change for two days. We had a small break from the blizzard today, but dear friends, they say more snow is on the way.  Please remember us in the northwest during this dangerous time.