{January 11, 2011}

I am calling today's photo "Before" as I'm sure after the Nor'Easter that is supposed to come through tonight the "After" shot will be much different. This was taken from my front door looking out in to the front yard which is still covered in snow from awhile back. Having lived in Bend, Oregon for 7+ years I am not "new" to feet of snow--quite the contrary--although I am new to Nor'Easters. Another thing I'm learning to live with out here is that once we get that first decent accumulation you can forget about seeing the ground until spring. At least that's how it is at our house. Granted, it all may have something to do with the humongous pine trees around us, but still. In Bend the sun is almost always out which means that even after a "dumping" you can be snow-less in a matter of days. I'm still wading through a good 4-5" around our property and am now expecting that to rise if this storm lives up to its expectations. I will admit that the one nice thing about living in an area that receives a ton of snow annually...they are awesome at getting the roads cleared FAST! Even my semi-rural street is usually snow-free within a day (or two at most) after the snow hits. So despite being surrounded by the white stuff at home, I can still get out (and away) from it should the desire hit me. For now I'm planning to hit the grocery store--not in a panic but simply because we're out of food and it's my "day" to shop--stock up on hot chocolate, keep the fire going in the woodstove, and watch the news to see if the kids and I get to sleep in tomorrow. Stay safe and warm New Englanders!

On to the pic...{click to view full size}