In the Pacific Northwest, vast sections of freeway are shut down or at a standstill.  Downtown Seattle is in the grips of snow and ice.  Ten inches of snow and more which turned to ice.  Metro drivers with articulated buses are jack knifed and stuck in the road; chains are not even working on the hills.  The plows and deicers are all out, but not making much headway.  The Seattle area is built on a series of hills which makes matters dangerous for anyone on the roads.  The Puget Sound region is pretty much iced in.  Tow trucks are in high demand, and the wait is a long one if you are in a collision.  And don’t call for a taxi—you will only get a recorded message that says there region is pretty much iced in. are none available.

            UPS and FEDEX drivers are delivering packages on foot!!  I guess they are determined to see that any Christmas presents are delivered in time for the event.

            The roads into Canada were pretty much shut down yesterday with the ice, and it just moved south.  I think we can assume that it will be a white Christmas for sure, with more snow tomorrow plus off and on snow and freezing weather into next week.

            One enterprising individual used skis to get to work!  Talk about dedicated employees.  At least the kids are all enjoying being out of school with no return scheduled any time soon.  It will continue through the night, and maybe for the next week.

            Good thing I went to the store last week, and we have lots of dry wood for the stove.  We also have plenty of chow for the animals.  But getting the hay out to the cows and defrosting their water is a royal pain in the you-know-what. 

            We have been taking good care of the birds; crumbled muffins and bread don’t last long and little skirmishes break out here and there as they jockey for the choicest morsels.  I have nailed fat and fat layered soup bones to the fence posts for the birds, and they really go to town on them.   There is also a feeder full of seed and cracked corn.  At least they won’t go hungry around here.  As long as my stocks in the freezers hold out, that is.

            It seems this weather is hitting the entire northern portion of the country in one form or another.  Many in the New England area have already been hit with it, and some places are still without power.  We haven’t lost our power yet.  YET.

            I hope everyone is snug and warm in front of their fires, and not stuck on the roads.