Snow Storm!

I wasn't feeling the usual buffeting of the house, wind beating on the south windows. The area in front of the house didn't have much new snow, although it's blowing in all directions. Then I walked down to check on the animals and turn off lights in the bird building. Just to the north of the house snow is blown into drifts. The wind roars and howls, has a living presence. The landscape looks unfamiliar as I walk down the hill, snow coming up to my knees.

This wind is from the NE, a very unusual direction. Normally it rushes up the south slope and slams into my house. Now it is getting caught in the woods to the north, trying to slide in around the big garage door, covering my straw - usually protected on the north side of the building - with snow. 

As I trudged up the hill, wind circling me and surrounding me with snow, I thought about people caught out in winter storms, not having a warm house to go back to. We don't normally get this kind of storm west of the Cascades. We really aren't prepared for it. I surely hope my power stays on. The wind is ramping up, whistling through cracks that shouldn't exist in the house, maintaining an aural presence clearly heard through walls and windows. 

Winter is here.