The BIG snow of 2017

We don't get a lot of snow in the greater Birmingham area. We get a giant snow every few or ten years. The last big snow was in 2014 and it was indeed a biggie and caught everyone off guard - the snow arrived earlier than expected and everyone couldn't get home from work and people stayed with other people or in their offices for 2 or 3 days. Many people left their cars all over the roadways and interstates.   We don't like when that happens. Some of us have four wheel drive vehicles (hubby) but he couldn't get to me last time. About a week ago, our favorite weather forecaster . . .James Spann . . .started hinting at snow. We all assumed the threat of snow would go away before the day arrived. The day crept slowly closer and the risk of winter weather stayed. No one wants to take chances anymore (after the last time!) so all of the schools in the winter watch area closed for the day and many businesses either closed altogether or closed early. We had some sleet around mid morning on Friday. It was actually quite loud! It was cold on Friday. We were evidently right on the line between freezing rain/sleet/ice pellets and actual snow. They predicted the second round would hit around 6:00 p.m. and it did . . .but Mark and I knew something was up when we could HEAR our snow. Snowflakes fall gently and quietly. Ice pellets do not. Like a little kid, I went to bed hoping that when I awoke this morning, there would be lots of snow. I awakened to COOOOOLLLLLDDDD temperatures and this:

The ice looked like snow and it was pretty sparkling in the morning sun.

It looked quite lovely in the fire pit.

and it looked even lovelier and deeper on the patio table.

It was stacked up in the bushes beside the house and the plants look TOTALLY frozen!

The playground in front of the house was covered.  I saw the cutest thing today in the playground.  A little girl in a pink coat with a sled would run and climb the ladder to the top of the slide and she would put her sled down and jump on it and go down the frozen slide - pretty clever!!  As soon as she finished, she would run quickly around to do it again!

The roads are still frozen in lots of areas so they have cancelled church.  Mark and I did venture out  to Walmart.  I did not stop at the store and buy bread and milk before the snow.  Everyone in Alabama buys bread and milk before it snows.  Who knows why?  Such a weird combo!  We were expecting our Blue Apron box this weekend but FedEx has had to deal with ice and snow, too, so no food box . . .We ate venison cube steak last night because it was the ONLY meat in the freezer -- Mark cooked it and even made gravy for me.  I didn't even have a fresh vegetable in the house!!  I was telling Mark that we could survive on peanut butter sandwiches and peanut butter crackers.  Mark had horrible cabin fever.  He said that he could understand double homicides and alcoholism much better after being trapped inside.  He tried to go for a walk this morning but the wind chill was a whopping 4 degrees -- toooooo cold!  Our coats are not thick enough; our boots are not warm enough.  We just don't have the right tools for snow and ice.

So while we were at the grocery store, Mark received a text from a close friend who was out of town.  The close friend's ex wife had been taken by ambulance to the local ER and the friend needed Mark to go pick her up and take her home.  I believe Mark did some slipping and sliding along the way.  He tried to go out of our neighborhood via the parkway - it was frozen solid!  We had driven the other direction to Walmart.  He had to back up the street and turn around and go the really long way around to get to the ER.  He picked her up and used his 4 wheel drive to take her safely home and he made it back home safe and sound.