About Me

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Recent retiree--35 year's experience teaching reading, English, adult basic education and volunteer leadership skills. Started this blog to exchange ideas and commentary with friends and others having an interest in joining the discussions. Greatest life accomplishments include: 1.organized my 3rd grade class to check out library books for me to get around librarian's weekly limit--Amazon.com, the Mullins Elementary 3rd Grade Class of 1956 is still waiting for "thank you" notes; 2. volunteered in the Peace Corps, island of St. Kitts, West Indies; 3.taught adults to read, earn their GEDs., and speak English as a second language; 4. bought a border collie puppy for $6, got evicted rather than give him up, and began a life-long love affair with all things "Dog"; 5. joined a physical fitness boot camp in my mid-50s--don't mess with someone who's been doing regulation pushups in wet grass at 5:30 a.m.; 6. walked across Northern England with best friend Sally--over 80 miles from the Irish to North Seas; and 7. travelled to many foreign countries for pleasure and work.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Blizzard Dogs

(Vicki over at catching light is host for this week's Fun Monday. She asked us to post a photo of the view from our front door. Since mine is rather dismal, I'll take a bit of leeway and show you the view one morning in January 1994 when things were much more dramatic.)

Who hasn't gone to bed on Sunday night in the depths of winter dreading the thought of Monday morning and the start of a hectic work week? That was my situation on January 16, 1994. I had been away from home on business the week before. Here it was, Sunday evening. The laundry wasn't done, the house a mess, the dogs were wild and unwalked, and the work week ahead was a grind of too many assignments and not enough time. Plus, that evening freezing rain had fallen for several hours complicating the Monday morning commute.

Early Monday morning I was awakened by thunder. That was unusual enough for me to get out of bed and peer out the window. The snow was falling like crazy from still dark skies. I later learned that this phenomenon is called "thunder snow." By morning we had 16 inches of snow, a dramatic change from the freezing rain at bedtime Sunday night. This was the view out my front door on Monday morning.
By Monday afternoon we had a 24 inch snowfall and temperatures had dropped at a dizzying rate. Monday morning temps were low 30s and then dropped to 10 degrees by evening and lower as the night went on. On Tuesday the temperature continued to drop to an amazing -22 below zero in Louisville and down to -36 degrees out of the city. Bur-rr--rr! This was an all time record cold for normally moderate Kentucky. For two days we were immobilized. All state,federal,and interstate roads were closed. The governor declared a state of emergency for all of Kentucky.
However, Southern Dogs Love a Blizzard -- If this weather was a novelty for me, it was thrilling for the dogs as you can see. Their first run out that morning brought out their "inner husky"! They plowed through the snow drifts trying to find a spot to squat that wouldn't tickle their butts. When they succeeded in that, it was time for a three dog celebration pile up. They were a joy to watch.


For almost a week we were delightfully marooned on Summit Court. Thankfully the electricity and cable stayed on so we were warm and connected with the outer world. The dogs had plenty food and treats. Our only minor crisis was that Dan the Golden got a hacking cough that wouldn't stop and we couldn't get to the vet. So, I gave him a home remedy: lemon cough drops crushed with honey and a bit of whiskey, warmed slightly. He lapped it up and the cough disappeared! Unlike Zack the Border Collie, I thought he was balanced enough not to become an alcoholic from that brief walk on the wild side. . .

There have been many Januarys since 1994 when I wished for another blizzard. Thanks a lot Al Gore,and your Inconvenient Truth, for bursting that bubble!

(Want to count snowflakes? Click on photos to enlarge.)

27 comments:

Peter said...

Yeah it looks pretty Faye, but I'm afraid snow holds no other appeal for me, to each their own I guess.

laurie said...

wow. it's gorgeous. and yes, dogs absolutely love it.

my4kids said...

Looks like the dogs were definetly enjoying the snow!
Great picture though.

Alison said...

Wow..pretty amazing. I loved your post, very humorous at times!! Your pups are adorable!!

Hootin Anni said...

Thunder snow...never heard of it. But truly from my perspective [in my warm computer room] it's a love scene.

Happy Fun Monday.

Molly said...

I rememeber that snow. My sister and family live in Louisville, and the Kentucky weather that January was worst than it was here, a few hundred miles north.

Sandy said...

I had forgotten about Thunder Snows. Great pictures.

Unknown said...

Yeah, I twisted the rules too but guilt got the better of me and I have added a photo from today. :)

Those photos are truly lovely~! You don't normally get snow? My dogs love snow too!

Kim said...

The snow is beautiful. The dogs are beautiful. I like your spin on this Fun Monday. Very cool.

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

Wow! That is dramatic!

ellen b. said...

Oh my oh my, now that's a lot of snow. How fun to travel around this morning and see so many different landscapes!

SwampAngel65 said...

Oh my Lord!! Look at all that snow!!!! The dogs look like they love it, though :) I like to look at it, but am so glad I never have to deal with it!

(BTW, my front door solicitor is my 3 year old who ALWAYS has to be in the middle of things!)

Jill said...

thats a lot of snow at once. at least ours is only 3 inches at a time!

Faye said...

Hi Pamela over at "The Dust Will Wait"--that darn feather duster of yours would not allow me to comment on your post for some reason so will just do it here in case you visit. Admired your new camera work and the one on the left could be framed as an art print.

So there feather duster!

-Ann said...

Great photos. One of the things I really miss here are the weather extremes. Our weather is very changeable, but all within the same narrow parameters.

Robin said...

WOW! What a snowfall!! The photos are wonderful. And the best part? YOU DIDN'T LOSE POWER! Anyone can weather a snowstorm if they have electricity!

I've never heard of Thunder Snow...but I'd like to experience it...just once.

I'm curious what your view looks like now, though...:)

Robin @ PENSIEVE

Linda said...

Dogs, gotta love em! But I guess if I had furry feety jammies on, I might roll around in all that puffy white stuff too! If, that is I could go inside and have something hot to drink!

Karmyn R said...

That is a lot of snowfall! Now that I live in Western Oregon - snowfall is a rarity indeed. I miss it.

Your dogs were having so much fun! I love it.


Dreaming What Ifs...

ped crossing said...

And you got a snow day (or two) to catch up. We dream of snow days. Don't often get them.

Brrr, but it was beautiful.

A Slice of My Life said...

Very pretty. Although I don't see myself wishing for a blizzard evah!

Kaytabug said...

WOW!! Now, those are some breathtaking photos!!

Michelle said...

Those snow covered trees are gorgeous!!

Pamela said...

It's cold here - but only a bit of snow.

There was some of that thunder/cold weather stuff here last year. Odd natural phenomenon.

Amazing pictures... amazing that you could find your pictures from that far back. I'm sure I couldn't.

KellytheCulinarian said...

We're in the midst of a snow advisory. They're saying six inches overnight.

Kila said...

Great photos. (I remember that weekend in 1994 very well. A friend of ours was married Jan. 15th, 1994!)

Lane Mathias said...

Those pictures are fantastic.

Sadly we never get days where we're cut off but I remember as a child, living in a remote village, the joy of waking up to discover we couldn't get out. Fine, as long as you've got heat and food, that is.

Love the cough remedy:-)

Karen said...

What fabulous pictures!! My children dream of snow like that, but it very rarely falls round here :( Mind you, if it did we'd soon be moaning!