When the White Stuff hits the fan...

Snow'pocalypse. Snow'mageddon. Snow'locaust. Catast'snow'phe... There has been a lot of talking about the weather this week in the Seattle Metro area. When snow comes, Seattleites can be un peu dramatiques. You expect this in Atlanta, GA where I once was a college student, but not so much in the great Pacific Northwest.

Truth be told, Seattle does not do snow. We get a couple of inches now and then; life stops; kids get out in the street and play; the snow melts; it turns to slush; there is major flooding ; then life returns to normal... usually rain. 

Snow in Seattle
(D. Horsey - Seattle P.I.)

Still, there is no telling what a Seattle winter will bring. Things can go downhill quickly around here. Winter 2006: A major wind storm causes massive power outages. It lasts four days in our area; even longer in other parts of the county. Neighbors flee the boonies to stay in local hotels. A giant tree almost crashes our back deck and part of the house. Le Husband invests in a generator and a chain saw. Oh, and my city-loving parents are visiting. They can't  believe their eyes. Good news for me: no snow in the yard that winter.

Wind: 1
French Girl: 0

The Yellow Dog thinks: "Do I get to pee on that giant bush too?"

December 2008. My parents are coaxed into returning for the Holidays. This time, a massive snow storm lands in the neighborhood. We lose power again. We get stuck at home and can't drive down the hill for a few days. My parents have not been back since. I can't say I blame them.

Inches or centimeters: It's a heck of a lotta snow!

Dad thinks: "Get me on that early Air France flight back to Paris!"
Mom thinks: "It's so pretty!" (because that's who she is.)

Dad had a point. 

Fast forward to this week, January 2012. I came back from lovely Portland on Sunday evening, and the view from my office window at home looked like this:

By Thursday afternoon, the view had turned into this, and the snow was still coming down...

Les Boys, who had been snowmobiling all weekend with friends, eased into it with no problem. On Martin Luther King day, it was obvious we would get to admire the White Stuff a bit longer than expected. Of course, the children spent the day outside doing a lot of this...

By 4:00pm, the school district had called it. There would be no school on Tuesday, and possibly on Wednesday due to a massive snowstorm headed our way. It turns out the ubiquitous yellow buses stayed away from the area the whole week. 

(not mine)

After all, nobody wanted to see this...

No doubt remembering the winter of 2008, the whole neighborhood switched into crisis mode. First things first, people rushed to the grocery store and the gas station, filled their tanks and their trunks with supplies. I suspect the Coffee aisle chez Costco looked a bit like this (God forbid locals should be stuck at home for days on end with no coffee!)

Snow'mageddon is on its way!

In our neighborhood, things happened pretty much as they always do. Dad went to work - slowly because of icy roads - and entrusted Mom to keep the fort. Mom understood and was not mad at Dad. Mom knew that Dad would have much rather stayed at home. After all, not being able to play in the snow with the kids was enough punishment for him. 

Still, Mom was no dummy, and as soon as the [dreaded] phone call arrived from the school district, Mom knew what to expect. Mom's plans for the week had just been thrown through the window. Mom would have to keep her very lively children busy, healthy and happy while dealing with potentially hazardous weather conditions. Still, work had to be done, on the computer, or around the house. 

Not to worry. Mom could handle it all. 

Organization was key. Special orders were placed and supplies secured. 

Or, at the very least...

Madame M.'s best friend

The rules of the game were clearly explained to the children, who rushed outside as soon as they fell out of bed and came back wet, ravenous and exhausted after a few hours. 

Mom kept smiling and relied heavily on her favorite support system: her girlfriends.

Some moms kindly fed the neighborhood children, cooking American delicacies such as Kraft Mac'n'Cheese, hot dogs and chocolate chip cookies. 

Other Moms - who were not as gifted - purchased cookies and other supplies. 

Still, Mom needed a chance to breathe and relax. At night, silhouettes were seen walking down our steep hill, holding flashlights and giggling, on their way to the nearby brewery. 

This was all done anonymously, of course, for what would the neighbors think?

Everyone was happy, fully enjoying this Winter Wonderland:

The children, who had so much fun they forgot to whine [most of the time...]

Neighborhood dogs, old and young...

Dads, who came home in the evening and sampled delicious home-cooked meals (the lucky ones even got a chance to sneak outside and play in the snow, too.)

This could be the end of our tongue-in-cheek story, but that means I would have to leave out severe power outages resulting in over 200,000 homes without power in neighboring counties; thousands of fallen trees; frozen pipes; roads closed to traffic; the local governor declaring a State of Emergency. And I am pretty sure some Seattleites were disappointed the Washington National Guard was NOT allowed to deliver free lattes!


I would also have to leave out serious good times with the "Usual Suspects" (because nothing brings people together like a snow storm, other than a half-yearly sale at Nordstrom's.) 

Pooling resources for an improvised Raclette party

It was never boring, c'est certain. Truth be told, by Thursday afternoon, many had had enough in the 'hood. Mainly grown-ups, and some kids too. On the other hand, Junior could not be talked into spending time indoors. He and his buddies were out there for hours every single day, determined to make the most of every second. 


I knew Junior had a point, and the Yellow Dog and I kept walking, even in the blizzard...

At times, outdoorsy friends joined us...

We walked along the deserted streets, eerily quiet in the cold winter air, focusing on the sound of our footsteps (paw steps) in the snow.

There were frequent reminders we live deep in the heart of the Pacific Northwest... 

We were aware wildlife lurked at ever corner. Hiding in the forest. Invisible. Watching us.

 We passed strange creatures on the side of the road...

Elephant Man? 

Snoopy?

Later, we saw signs of civilization...

And finally, some sun, showing the way home.

A bientôt.




Afterword:


We all survived. As planned, the rain returned on Friday and by Saturday morning, it had all turned to mush. This created an even bigger mess, but at least the children will be returning to school tomorrow.


Laughter helps chase away winter blues. Here is a fun video of Seattleites attempting to drive in the snow. The clip has gone viral online this week, and has already been featured on several blogs. I had to show it to you. Enjoy!