weather ~ we all have it!

and sometimes it comes in black and white... mostly white.
and sometimes it's quite inconvenient... like the past couple of days here in my queendom.  we had some snow a couple of days ago... not a big problem really.  we knew it was coming and were prepared with food, alcohol, dog cookies, and propane for the generator in case we needed it.  watched the tv weathermen go all orgasmic over the prospect of SNOW, and the lower ranking of reporters sent out to remote spots around the metro area, especially to the higher elevations to report on the expected traffic problems.  it got really funny during the first day and evening when these pitiful reporters were on camera telling us that a few minutes ago there had been snow falling, tho now suddenly it had stopped and even if there were no traffic problems at the minute, they did expect the roads to be slick any time now.  (temp in the mid 30s F).  and the weather guys were right... there was rain, snow, rain... all of it in various places around the portland area.  some got snow... some did not get snow.  sunday there was some on the ground around here and a bit of a freeze over night.  on Jim's walk with the dogs they got as far as the end of the driveway and he slipped and fell.... nothing bad, but enough to end the walk.  and then last night we got hammered!  we must have gotten 8 inches or more... HUGE!  but the temp was still hanging right around 32ish F, which was enough to keep the snow sliding off the roof all night long which is an eerie sound... sort of like a truck sliding off the metal roof on our dome home.  so there were huge piles of it around the perimeter of the house.  later today rain started, and wind and lo and behold... mid-afternoon lights went off along with computers, phone and anything that requires electricity.  so Jim spent a couple of hours collecting extension cords and rigging everything up to use the generator which we've had for 2 years and not had to use.   the priorities were the refrig and the small freezer which lives in the kitchen... so they got pulled out into the middle of the kitchen so they could both be plugged into the same cord.  by then it was 5:00 and i was going thru the options of what we'd have for dinner that didn't require cooking... slim options.  and Jim was muttering that he'd probably get it all set up and within 30 min. the power would come back on.... yep.. just in time to watch Rachel Maddow... the power was back, we had hot food rather than cold sandwiches and lived happily ever after... with the honking big cord and freezer and refrig still in the middle of the kitchen... just in case we lose power again.  gotta say tho... it's nice to have that generator if we need it.

and the pink flamingo on the patio gives a touch of color to the scene!

and yes, i do know that some places on the planet have lots of this a lot of the time and i freely admit that we are a bunch of weather weenies here in the PNW.  we're not used to it and don't  want to get used to it, and we'll go on ad nauseum about snow when we get it.  and i restrained myself and only posted 2 of the 94 photos i took of snow.