That describes the world outside my windows today. And oh yes, please add in the word rain as well. At least it didn't turn out to be a big wind and rain storm as predicted, so we mostly slept blissfully without being wakened by wind whipping around the house, or by being aware of Alex's breathing and every little movement like we did the entire night the night before. You know, right, the watchful feeling when a dog is still feeling the effects of having been under anesthesia? This morning, like us, he's  …well … right as rain!

I am however feeling a little housebound. I am so ready for spring! Spring is such a sweet season here in New Jersey.

So ready to walk in the yard without putting on boots or some kind of overshoes or slipping and sliding my way around.

Ready to throw open the windows and hear sweet birdsong.

Ready to hang laundry on the line outside again instead of over the shower curtain rod in the guest bathroom.

Ready for the peepers to sing me to sleep at night.

Ready for the fireflies to light up the yard. (If you want a good laugh at me, follow the link!)

Ready for rides in Mia.

Ready to celebrate the pool opening.

READY.

But, I have to wait. After all, it is only the end of February. I am getting impatient!

Isn't it strange that the very season we longed for at its beginning with its need for cozy wood fires, warm jackets and gloves, watching  movies, reading, jigsaw puzzling and comfort food is the very same one we are so eager to be rid of now. Thank goodness for the four seasons!

(photo: Abandoned House: Skylands) I liked how the wall was comprised of two different kinds of haphazard stone, as if there was a huge hole (or garage under the house?) that they filled in. I found the textures and colors interesting.

There is talk of yet more snow in our near future: not once, but possibly twice in the coming week. Our first chance is tomorrow night. It won't be much, maybe one to three inches, but enough that it has to be cleared from driveways, steps and sidewalks. Another potential storm is looming for Sunday into Monday. They are talking "major" and not just a couple of inches here or there. I really hope that one passes us by since Rick has a business trip and is leaving on Monday. To Florida!

A reader commented that they thought our foot of snow was pretty substantial and he thought that is more than he saw in one snowfall when he lived in New Jersey. It was substantial and more than we usually see in one single storm. But two other snow events stick out in my mind: one was the Snowicane from February of 2010. Please follow this link for that blog entry and photos.

The other, and possibly the most snow I've seen since we've lived here was this storm that came the day after Christmas of 2010. I don't think it had a name but it certainly deserved one! Click here for entry and pics. Here is one teaser photo. The winter that followed that storm was the snowiest we've had so far since we moved in 2006. It just did not stop snowing.

Our snow from the weekend is still here, albeit looking a bit sad after our above-freezing temperatures on Sunday and yesterday's icy rain. No way is it going anywhere before more snow is added to top it off. 

When I look back at the blog entries from previous years we were driving Mia in March and the trees were starting to bud out! By the end of April the trees are pretty much leafed out, but not fully. Right now that just doesn't seem possible. 

I can put up with a little winter as long as spring comes at the end of it! Spring is all the more sweeter after a true winter, don't you think?

(photo:) It's deep out here!

That's our backyard snow total. Officially, I guess West Milford got the highest snow total in NJ: 13.2 inches. But I could only see exactly 12 inches no matter where I put the tape measure. Still, 12 inches is nothing to sneeze at.

We spent our morning clearing snow from the enormous driveway that we have, all the steps (front and deck steps that lead to the back yard) and the poor truck that has to sit outside without benefit of being in the garage. We're now in for the rest of the day. Whew.

We did not lose power. Of course not. We spent all that money to have the generator wired in to the household circuitry, so why would we? In fact, we got very little of the wind that they predicted. Go figure.

I don't think Nemo was quite as nasty a storm as predicted, but I guess after Sandy they weren't taking any chances. Other locations such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and friend Carolyn in Rhode Island got pretty much buried. Plus they got the wind as well.

Now that all the work is done it's a very pretty day out there! Except for the gusty wind, that is (which we did not have yesterday).

(photos:)

Poolside Pleasure

Go, Johnny, Go!

Inches of snow that is. That is what our latest prediction says. New York City is under the blizzard zone but we are not. Near to hurricane force winds and some flooding are predicted for parts of the shore and my heart goes out to all those people still hurting from Sandy.

We were supposed to go a friend's house tomorrow night for dinner but we have mutually agreed to cancel since it's a 45-minute drive in the best of weather and we have no idea what tomorrow will bring.

So far we had our usual coating of snow overnight and it's been slowly lightly since I got up but no real accumulation. The two storms are not supposed to come together until the wee hours of the morning when things really start to ramp up.

I have no plans to go anywhere today, and certainly not the grocery store with its throngs of crazy shoppers. We have gas for the generator, food to eat, books to read, puzzles to put together and a cozy wood fire.

I think we're ready, Nemo. Come and find us.

(photo: Shadow Forest vs Real Forest; Monksville Reservoir)

High atop a snow bank in the grocery store parking lot, there sits a lonely little grocery cart. It’s been stuck in the snow since the Christmas storms when it got swept up by the snow plows. It almost made a break for freedom during our recent thaw, but got caught once again in the plow’s path in our storm earlier this week.

I feel kind of sorry for it. Left out of the daily cart round-ups. No one to push it through the heated, well-lit aisles. It’s spacious basket not filled up with goodies that it was meant to hold.

With our expected below-freezing daytime temperatures this coming week I think it might be there for a while.