Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Snowlandia

Snowpocalypse 2014 continued through the weekend.  More snow fell on Saturday, adding to Thursday and Friday's accumulations.  The entire Portland metro area was one big blanket of white.  Portlandia became Snowlandia.


Snowy street

Some of you folks who live in northern climates are probably laughing that it only took four inches of snow to shut down the entire town.  And yes, when I moved here from South Dakota 25 years ago, I was also amazed.  But - snowfall of this amount occurs so seldom (our last big storm was back in 2008) that it's not cost effective for local municipalities to keep a large fleet of snow removal equipment.  Main roads are plowed, while minor streets stay buried.



Skiing through the local park

With the snowfall came a slew of cancellations, both workplaces and schools.  Freeways became clogged with abandoned cars.  Lots of folks who live here have no idea how to drive in snow and ice, and their cars are not equipped with the proper tires and/or chains.  People who couldn't make it through the snow left their cars in streets, blocking travel lanes.  Fender benders were a common occurrence.


Reacquainting myself with skinny skis

So when it does snow, it's easier to tell everyone to just stay home.  Although I have a snow-worthy Subaru decked out with snow tires, I usually don't venture out.  Yes, I can drive in the snow and ice, but worry about the people who can't.  And I really don't want to get hit by some clueless, unprepared yahoo.


Snow makes me happy

Friday morning, after I learned work was closed, I became sorely tempted to drive up to Mt. Hood.  Rumor had it the ski areas were buried in a huge dump of powder.


White park scene

But....to reach the mountain, I'd have to drive through town.  Through the snow-packed freeways full of unprepared drivers.  No telling if I'd be delayed by an accident, or be involved in one. 


Rear view skier

And then I realized - why drive up all the way to the mountain when I had this wonderful powder right outside my front door?


Cute snowman

I dug my cross country skis out of the garage (which hadn't seen use since the last snowstorm), and took a trip through my neighborhood.  Silently, I glided down the white, snowy streets.



These cattails wear white hats

I'm lucky to have two parks within a mile of my house.  The first park was deserted - just me and the snow-covered play equipment.  I had a blast making first tracks through the light, fluffy powder.


Lovin' the falling snow

Then I headed to the second, larger park.  On the way, I passed homes with cute fat snowmen sitting by the curb. 


Fluffy white coat on everything

This park was full of people.  Happy kids sledding down the small hills, people walking dogs, snowshoers, and even a few other folks on cross country skis.


No picnics today

Happily, I swooshed through the snowy goodness.  It's so fun to be able to ski through familiar surroundings, totally changed by a coating of white fluff.  To be able to step out your front door and go skiing.  To some folks this sort of thing is commonplace, but here in Portland, it's a wonderful rare opportunity.


Hooray for snow!

Sadly, by Saturday evening, freezing rain descended upon the Willamette Valley, coating our lovely white powder with a hard, icy crust.  And temps rose on Sunday, turning everything into a sloppy, wet mess.

But for a brief two days, I was able to enjoy the wonderful white paradise that became Snowlandia.


Sharing with:  Our World Tuesday.

22 comments:

  1. Gorgeous images Linda! So nice to see a winter wonderland sitting in sunny Singapore. Sending some sunshine your way :)

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  2. LOVE it! Your smile looks as big as mine was (and still is)!
    Blessings,
    Aimee

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  3. I agree, Linda.. for two glorious days we had real snow.. bringing back fond memories of NY, where I'm originally from.
    Loved your fun pics of Snowlandia!

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  4. Linda I am beginning to realize that you like snow more than kids do. :-)

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  5. Linda, it all looks so pretty and nice until you mentioned the freezing rain and the crazy drivers. It is the same here. I love the cute snowman! Have a happy day!

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  6. I love the snowman on skis! Fabulous!

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  7. I'm glad you're getting some snow out that way, I know you said your area needed the moisture. Still way too cold out this way. We might get UP to freezing tomorrow!

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  8. Great shots...clearly, you're having a blast! I'm envious of all your snow...I would go wild taking shot after shot...:)

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  9. So pretty, but I am glad it is all over. I laughed to myself with familiarity about the whole not wanting to drive in fear of others. I grew up on the mountain and driving in the weather is nothing to me, but I get so freaked out by inexperienced snow drivers. Love these photos, especially the wooden fence one :)

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  10. Very nice- happy you got your snow

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  11. This looks awesome! I would love if this happened where I live, but I'd be afraid to go out too. All my friends back in Michigan balk at places that are crippled by just a few inches of snow, but it really is a HUGE expense to own plows to keep things running smoothly. Glad you were able to get out and enjoy Snowlandia. :)

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  12. I think you made the right choice by sticking close to home. I'm always worried about the other drivers out there too.

    I've never tried cross country skiing. Love that first photo of you!

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  13. Nice to see Portland in the snow. It looks so pretty with the new white coat.

    Cattails with snow hats...love that photo!

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  14. Linda,
    Glad you had fun in the snow! Hope things get back to normal and safe conditions soon.

    Snow and frost are fun to photograph.

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  15. Indeed the snow was fun. We had a winter wonderland walk from our house to Arbys Sunday evening. The rain washed all the snow away. Good things, sort of! loved your photos and glad you got out and enjoyed it! I stayed home 2 days, ventured out sunday a.m. and evening!

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  16. Linda your energy and enthusiasm always makes me smile . Love the snow woman lol
    I hereby give you the gold medal for the Happy Hiking Olympics !

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  17. A different kind of snow - nearby. That looks like a fun time; I keep meaning to learn to snowshoe or cross-country ski.

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  18. Sounds like your kind of weather! Too bad it didn't last longer. I love that you got your skis out and just went. :)

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  19. Loved seeing all of your selfies Linda -- enjoying the snow in your own backyard. Beautiful! xo

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  20. Hi,Linda. It's nice to go skiing in your neighborhood parks. It looks you enjoyed snow days very much. Thank you for using Subaru motor car. My son is working at the company. wishing you a wonderful weekend.

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  21. What a fun way to enjoy the snow in town. Oklahoma was like that. In the '09 blizzard, we watched people lose traction headed uphill, stop, and push their car. Hope everyone stayed safe and enjoyed the white stuff.

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  22. It is kinda funny seeing abandoned cars in the winter. What’s worse is it's even more difficult to start up your car after the snow melts! Haha! Kidding aside, driving on snow covered tires shouldn't be a problem as long as you have the right kind of tires strapped on.

    Sarah Erwin

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