The grateful dead.
When I awoke this morning and looked out the window, I saw heavy, blowing snow. I also saw drifts half-way up my south-side doors and about four feet of snow on the roof of my pickup. That’s what happens in a blizzard when you park in the lee.
It was an all-night, all-day storm. In the middle of it, while shoveling the back deck, I heard the call of a golden-crowned kinglet—then spotted the tiny bird flitting gamely amid the swaying branches. The plow guy came by about midday but thought better of blasting through the five foot snowplow drift on the roadside. I expect he’ll be back on the sunny morrow. Meanwhile, though, I’ve got maybe thirty inches of snow in my parking lot. No Beech Hill trip today.
Not that I would’ve been able to park anywhere near the hill. Thought about walking up there, but three miles is a lot in a blizzard. Instead, Jack and I walked all the way down to the Rockland Breakwater, which was plenty far. Encountered a few brief whiteouts. Met a small party of cross-country skiers on the road. Saw a few plows at work. Heard some crows. Spotted a mourning dove at the Glen Cove Cemetery.
The snowing and blowing finally subsided at the end of the day. Temps were maybe 12 or 14 degrees (F) all day. Still hovering there. Windy, too, but nowhere near what it was during the daylight hours. Somehow the power never went out.
Tomorrow, there will be shoveling. And, I hear, sunshine.
Beech Hill List
For the first day in many moons, I didn’t make it to Beech Hill today.
Elsewhere
1. Golden-crowned kinglet
2. American crow (v)
3. Mourning dove
v = Voice only
