The past several days have been really interesting. I had very much hoped for snow and the bonus of a coating of ice, so I felt extremely grateful and excited about all that we got (about a foot or more)! It was beyond my hopes. I took about a thousand photos (not an exaggeration) over the course of four days and tried to soak up the scenery and opportunities as best as I could. I got outside a few times per day, admired the view, and even set my alarm so I could get more ice pictures before it melted! I also enjoyed the winter time at home. I baked, watched Netflix under my electric blanket, went through photos and hung out online.
By Sunday, I was getting eager for things to go back to normal. I had all of my photo opportunities, so I was fine with being done with snow. I'm the type who needs to leave my home most every day, even just for a quick trip to the store. This is especially true for me when I live alone (as I do now). Even though I technically had enough food to get by for awhile, I was running out of some of my favorite groceries (Coke Zero--I'll admit it) and feeling the lack of freedom to drive off whenever I felt like it. So when I found out Sunday night that work would be closed again on Monday, and I realized that maybe it would be a bit longer before I could leave, I felt cranky. Apartment fever was setting in, and my low point was this morning when I attempted to leave but couldn't get my car out of my parking spot. I was so disappointed.
Finally, at around 3:30pm I tried again and managed to get my car free! The streets are great, it was just my parking lot that was full of slush. I felt so liberated driving off to the store, and I even made small talk with the overly-cheerful cashier that I often avoid. Now I'm feeling much better about life, thanks for asking!
I have lots of photos to show you, and I'll post them as I get them ready. These are just a few as a preview. I have to say, I'm very glad that snow is a treat instead of a normal part of winter here. It makes me appreciate it more, and it's just easier to go about life when it's not around.
Have a great week! Do you have any Valentine's plans? Yes, it's already this Friday!
Thanks for sharing! This past week was fun, since we moved to Bend we kept wondering if Oregon actually got the snow we'd heard rumors about :-) Sure, we'd had a bit since we got here, but this was real snow! We had a similar experience to yours, the snow came in so fast on Friday and Saturday and our county was begging people to stay off of the roads, so we enjoyed a family weekend at home. We took the kids out for snow play, I walked to the local market with snowshoes to get some milk and fresh veggies. The mood at the market was fun, the line was long but everyone was telling stories of their adventures... some used cross country skiis to get to the market, others had treacherous drives, I got to help dig four cars out when they got stuck in front of my house, etc.
ReplyDeleteJust like you, I was glad to learn this wasn't the "normal" winter storm here, the neighbors said "This is the most snow I've seen all at once in seven years!" So I'm glad I don't have to deal with it every week during the winter, but it was actually kind of fun this time!
Great snowflake pictures, I actually got a few pictures of them this storm too, I'd never tried shooting them before:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dandawson
What was your technique? Most of these had gotten themselves stuck on our window so I set up a pocketwizard outside to flash them from behind and allow the backgrounds to go darker.
Fun, fun!
Dan, I didn't know you guys moved to Bend! (When?) I saw your photos (I follow your Flickr photos in my reader) and just figured you were visiting somewhere snowy. Also, I thought Bend does get regular snow..much more than over here, at least!
DeleteNo special technique, really. This was my second time trying and I used a tripod and also a toothpick to move some flakes around a bit (though there are limits since they fall apart pretty easily). I tried different surfaces and lighting (a bit) and will probably talk a little more about it here sometime.
Wow! You had a lot of snow! Your photos are beautiful, I love the way the snowflake glistens. Stay warm.
DeleteThank you, love, Mom
Look at this: my name is Anonymous.
Thanks! Your name shows up as Mom to me. :D
DeleteYes, love the snow pictures. I still don't really miss tons of snow though and don't envy your being stuck in your apartment for days at a time. You are stronger than me about that! But it does give us pleasure that you're able to capture so many beautiful things with your camera. And maybe a nice break from regular work and life, so that can be good, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to free yourself in the nick of time. :-)
Thanks! Yes, I definitely like snow days here and there, but it was funner when I had a roommate and also it just wears on you after awhile. It also would've been cool if I was in walking distance to a store, like last time, but I'm not.
DeleteMan you were in a strange place if you were making small talk with that cashier! ; )
ReplyDeleteBeautiful snowflake pics as usual!
Yes, that's true. I probably could've hung out with her for awhile, even. :P
DeleteThank you!