THE MORNING AFTER! (written about 10 a.m. Thursday.)

The wind is still blowing but there's intermittant sunshine, so our world seems calmer than it was last night. Somehow the wind never seems as fierce in the daytime as it does when you're lying in bed listening to it whip through the trees and buffet the house.

Fred took some pictures early this morning as he was headed out to clear the driveway. The wind left beautiful snow sculptures on the log pile (and I might add, on our deck - in fact, by dark last night the deck looked as if I'd never shoveled it). The difference is, now the snow is more firmly packed and is heavier to handle. Temperatures are still only slightly above zero, and the wind, of course, makes it feel something like 20 below.

We are still digging out - I did the deck again this morning, Fred will have to clear paths to get to the tool shed and the wood pile, and so the gas man can
deliver without wading through shoulder deep drifts. We gave up trying to keep the steps from our parking area clear several winters ago, but with all the snow, Fred opened them up so the gas man would have an easier trip to fill our tank. We'll see how long that lasts.

We haven't seen the road crew out plowing West Shore Road yet - school is closed in Cabot and lots of other areas, so I imagine they are concentrating on the areas known to plug up the worst in a storm like this. Fred took a picture of the road by our mailbox where driveways meet. Traffic is moving ok past our place, but there isn't a lot of it. I guess most people are still shoveling out.

I had a couple of e-mails from Liz Randall yesterday, and one had some photos attached of the ice storm they experienced on Long Island. Looks like not much was moving there yesterday, and I expect folks there are still recovering this morning, just like we are.


We hope everyone has a pleasant President's Day weekend.


These pictures were taken yesterday in front of the Randall's home at Miller Place, L. I.