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Charlottesville, garden, home, Jonas, life, neighbors, Virginia, winter storms
At 10:30 AM last Friday, Jonas made his entry into central Virginia. First the flakes were fine and light. Then for thirty-six hours, snow fell continuously.
When Jonas finally departed, taking the 30 MPH winds with him, I measured 19″ in my backyard. Deeper drifts fill the front yard, so much so my tallest boots vanish in the stuff. Folks in the real snow belt may shrug at this, yet here in central Virginia, this storm broke all weather records.
this is the view from my back door, over the herb garden.
Since my narrow driveway won’t allow a plow, snow must be moved by hand. With few behemoth snow storms over my fifteen year residency, I never felt it necessary to own a snow removal machine.
So with much optimism, every few hours on Friday, I dressed and shoveled my driveway down to the gravel. By nightfall, everything appeared manageable.
Saturday was another story. The snow continued all day. I repeatedly shoveled a path around the terrace to the wild bird feeders and heated water bath. The temperatures were in the 20F, not counting the wind chill.
by Sunday morning this is the view out my backdoor
a view of the back yard, over the herb beds and terrace this morning
I was grateful that the power remained on throughout this blizzard, as my only alternative with this all-electric house, was to shove food into coolers and hike to a home down the road where there is a generator and wood stove. Once again, with few catastrophic storms, it is not cost effective to install either a generator or stove here.
front yard cypress trees along the driveway
By Sunday I faced an overwhelming task of snow removal…
view of the front walk and my new foundation planting completed in November
following 1.5 hours of shoveling on Sunday, I made it to the deer fence near the mouth of my driveway. This view is looking from the road back up my drive.
to give readers an idea of what I face at the mouth of my driveway, this is a road view of the snow wall left by VDOT
this is the view of the highway connecting to my road; clear sailing for those who can get out of their driveways
Presently, VDOT has no idea when or if they will return with plows to make a second pass on my road. I hesitate to dig the wall, as one pass from that equipment will sock me in again with another wall. Quite the dilemma.
In the meantime this storm taught me a lot about my immediate neighbors. There are seven other houses on my road, and this morning all those driveways are open. As of this writing, nary a person offered to help me dig out. This speaks volumes.
by adding an archival photo of more pleasant days, I end this post knowing that this too shall pass and perhaps there are new roads for me to travel, where I will find kinder, more thoughtful neighbors in a milder climate
How did Jonas affect your home? One thought frequently pops into mind: all things are temporary including this home, garden, life.
Copyright © 2016 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved
So true, there is nothing so beautiful than pristine white snow except when you have so shovel it. As you said, thank goodness it doesn’t happen in your area often but even every once in a while is too much. I don’t miss New Hampshire winters one bit.
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And after that dose, another 6″ is forecast for tonight. No heroics for me…40’s by late week, so Mother Nature can take her snow away this time! 8 degrees here this morning, and I feared for my wild birds…Glad to see my favorites back at the feeders today…brutal, indeed.
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I know that the birds are happy to find the seeds you leave for them. Stay warm and yes, let nature take care of that snow for you this time.
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Pleased you managed to dig yourself out, just sorry we’re too far away to rush over with the tractor.
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Thank you Chris for your generous offer to be a kind neighbor! Rain this week, so most of the white mess is gone! Spring is merely seven weeks away and time is flying!! Be safe and well! Diane
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Oh my goodness, I nearly missed your post, and just seeing so much snow sends me into a complete panic… I hope everything works out for you Diane, and may you get some kindly neighbours in the future.
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We have three feet of snow here, too. But I’m in a subdivision so I was plowed out by VDOT. My husband and I as well as a few neighbors tackled the driveways and side walks. Actions do speak louder than words.
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Just like here, where, as you know, we got 24 – 30″, I believe it’s both a beauty and a beast. A beauty when we gaze upon that pristine snow, and a beast when we have to go out and wrassle with it.
Diane, I’m glad you finally got VDOT to dig you out. Sorry you have neighbors who don’t look beyond their own 4 walls. But you won’t always live next to them … now that you’re out, you can enjoy the beauty a bit. 🙂
Jeanne
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Jeanne, yes glad for the big dig, yet now all the culverts and drains on the road are covered with tons of snow. That is a horse of a different color…
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Definitely both the beauty and the beast! That’s a lot of snow for you guys. We’re just outside of the snow belt, but occasionally get a big snow like that. We’ve had our share of storms (ice or snow or thunder) that knocked out power on more than one occasion, so not-so-neighborly neighbors notwithstanding, glad you got slightly more beauty than beast!
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And VDOT just arrived on my road to do a decent plowing…only after I spent another two hours digging out the mouth of my driveway…Murphy’s law. I am SO DONE with this storm!
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I hope you are humming “winter wonderland”.
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Hardly.
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It hurts when neighbors only think of themselves. Sorry you had to go it alone.
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Thank you Meta
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