Mukilteo Musings

The Paralysis of Snow in Seattle

Rather than melt away, the snow stayed and then it snowed some more. It is so weird how our huge mountain ranges influence where and when the snow falls. For example, we have about four or five inches but not too far north of here, they have two feet. All over the Puget Sound area, cars are abandoned and parts of our freeways are shut down. Schools are closed. TV coverage is round the clock showing cars, trucks, and buses sliding into one another.

My Mom was here for a few days to wait on me and her flight left yesterday. It was a good visit. The snow was supposed to hit then but it has hit last night and today instead. Today is my scheduled day to get my blood drawn before my Monday chemo so I was a little concerned when I awoke this morning to see on TV the mess created on our roads. We called the hospital and a couple of people made it to the lab. Dave has no fear of snow and ice so off we went.

Getting out of our neighborhood was tricky. The sanding trucks had not been through and the hills up and out of here were treacherous. Once we reached the freeway, we made it ok. Needless to say, I did not have to wait in line to get my blood work done. On the way home and back down our hills, it looked like the sand truck had been there. But, I could not believe how stingy they have been with the sand. Puget Sound was carved out by glaciers and it is bordered by trillions of tons of sand. It just seems to me they could drop a little more than a dab at each stop sign. The hills require much more. Three blocks from our house, Dave actually lost control a bit coming down a steep stretch. "Hey yikes, I do not need any more years knocked off my life at this point. I think I want to walk home!"

We made it. Lucas and Magali were planning to go to Mt. Rainier or Mt St. Helens to cross country ski but instead, they are up the hill at the high school track.