Snow Days

I have to say, I'm a little tired of writing about historic events that we are experiencing from the confinement of our house, but here's another one.  We are digging our way out of the biggest snowstorm our community has experienced since 1979.  We officially had 36 inches of snow from Saturday to Monday.  The kids have Snow Day #3 tomorrow.  Government offices are closed but Glenn and I are working from home.  It's wild to see how much snow is on the ground.  

Reina on top of the pile from cleaning off the driveway. 

Reina sledding down our street before the plow came through.

Will helping Glenn shovel on Monday after the snow started to taper off.

Glenn taking on the sidewalk. He shoveled a path and took on the driveway and then our neighbor came over with his snowblower and helped finish it up.  We are taking him a gift card as soon as we can get out! 

I've had to teach an online class this week so I've missed some of the shoveling and clean-up.  This afternoon, Glenn sent me a message while I was in my class that our grocery store pharmacy was giving out COVID vaccines to anybody who could make it there.  When my class finished up at 3, I put on my snowboots and walked about 2 miles to the store.  On my way there, I kept telling myself not to get my hopes up because there were a lot of people who could easily get to the store because the roads were opening up.  Most of the roads have been plowed but there's just been about an 8 foot wide path cut so only car can get through at a time.  I was able to walk on the road for most of the route, but I did have to slog through some big drifts.  I made it to the store and stood in line behind one other person.  I was handed a clipboard, filled out some information, waited a few more minutes and got my first vaccine.  I knew it was real when the clerk handed me my vaccine passport with a note to come back in April for round 2.  And yes, I got a little teary-eyed.  I'm so glad I can stay healthy and help keep everyone else healthy too.  Even better?  Glenn shoveled a little path to get his truck onto our road and came and picked me up so that I didn't have to walk back home.  It's mostly uphill on the way back so I was happy about that.  Plus, I did a little post-vaccine celebration grocery shopping and stocked up on some items that we were running low on.  All of the roads have been closed in and out of town so store shelves were pretty bare but I grabbed some goodies to tide us over until things open up for good.  

Definitely not Spring yet

We are on the tail end of an epic snowstorm, even by Wyoming standards.  As of about 4 pm today, the National Weather Service reported that we had 30 inches of snow in Cheyenne since yesterday morning.  That's more snow than we've had in a 2-day period since 1979.  Yikes!  At our house, we've lucked out a little bit.  Our power has stayed on so we've had heat and been able to cook.  Glenn shoveled a path for the dogs to go outside and do their (ahem) business.  He also made a path to the chicken coop after I waded through waist deep snow to take them food this morning.  The chicken girls are warm and snug too, and not interested in venturing outside of the coop, thank you very much.  

The dogs, while appreciative of Glenn's hard work, were confused because they usually don't take bio breaks in the front yard.  

Before the shoveling.  

Reina working on a diorama about ancient Japan.  Yes, those are pajamas and yes it was the middle of the afternoon.  Snowy days have different rules.  

The literal calm before the storm. I took this picture Saturday morning.  The storm arrived a little later than forecasted so I took the dogs to the field for one last run to tire them out.  An inordinate amount of my time is spent figuring out how to tire out the dogs.  

School is canceled tomorrow.  Glenn and I don't get a snow day but we do get to work from home.  We'll both probably have to take a little bit of time off to shovel the driveway.  Roads are pretty impassable right now but we'll have to get out eventually.  This moisture will certainly help our drought situation but wowzer, I wouldn't have minded it being spread out over a few more weeks.  

Felt like Spring but it's probably not

It felt like Spring today, well Spring in a normal climate.  Spring in Wyoming is usually marked by nice days, then a snow storm, some wind, another nice day, a hard freeze and then Summer.  So maybe it is a typical Spring day in Wyoming.  But we made sure to enjoy the weather.  I wanted to work in the garden but the compost bin is frozen so that'll have to wait a while.  We did some yard work and I took the dogs for a long field run so it was a good day.  

Tootsie is alive, just really tired.  

Charlie is scared because someone has a camera

Trigger and a giant leftover moose bone 

We finally convinced Charlie to enjoy the sunshine

As the day went on, I felt a little off-kilter. I think the weather was reminding me so much of last March when everything shut down and we stayed at home for weeks on end.  I know the pandemic is not over  yet, even though more and more people are getting vaccinated. I hope Glenn and I get a call soon.  
 

8th Grade Basketball

The 8th grade basketball season ended today.  Will played on the A Team the entire season and we are really proud of him!  He improved a lot and he has a really sweet shot.  We had so much fun watching him play.  Today was supposed to be the end-of-season tournament but Laramie couldn't make it over the hill so it was just three teams, single elimination.  Will's team lucked out, they were supposed to play Laramie but they just had to play Carey and won in exciting fashion.  It was the sports highlight of my year so far.  

Earlier in the season playing against a Nebraska team.  Will's team wore masks during all of the games. 

Getting ready to grab a rebound. 

The championship trophy!  

 So another milestone completed, the last junior high basketball game.  Baseball practice is already underway and his first game will be in about a month or so.  The days are long but the years are short.  Again.  

The rest of the month

We had some really cold temperatures last weekend.  At one point before I went to bed on Saturday night, it was -18 and that was without the wind chill.  We made it through with lots of extra blankets for humans and inside pets and hot water bottles in the chicken coop.  The temps have warmed up to normal 20s and 30s this week but we have spring on our minds, even if we have months to go.  

We grow cotton in Wyoming! In February! 

Trigger loves his Glenn. I took this picture on Valentine's Day and thought it was especially fitting. 

Here's the COVID update.  I'm still working from home with chickens who want to come in the house.  Numbers in Wyoming are as low as they've been since last Fall and that's reassuring.  Glenn and I and the kids are still pretty far from getting a vaccine but we're glad that more and more people are getting it.  We were reminded this week that COVID is still an issue when we found out that a few boys from the basketball team are quarantined because of positive tests.  Will isn't quarantined but he sat by one of the boys on the bench the day before the quarantine started but everyone was wearing masks.  I'm keeping a close eye on Will this weekend which he adores (sarcasm.)  He loves when I remark on every cough and sneeze and ask him how he's feeling every few minutes. The team is pretty disciplined at wearing masks during the game and especially on the bench so I'm hopeful that Will is going to be okay.  The end of the season tournament is next weekend so we are all hoping that no other kids get infected and the team can finish out the season.  Will had his best game this week against their cross-town rival.  His team lost but Will made two free throws and played some really good defense.  I didn't scream when he made his free throws which is a win-win for everybody.  

 

A letter to the birthday girl

Happy 12th birthday Reina girl!  It's so cliche, but how in the heck are you 12?!  This is the last stop on the train to Teenageville, heaven help us all!  I don't want to wish time away so we shall enjoy all of your last year of being a pre-teen.  Well, let's be honest.  We might not enjoy every single second, but we shall get through it together. 

For your birthday, you asked for and received your own gaming system. No more sharing with your brother because let's face it, he stopped sharing it a while ago.  You also got a weighted blanket and some money for clothes.  You are definitely at the point where you have different opinions about your clothes than I do, so it's better that we shop together instead of me buying all of the cat tshirts at Target for you.  You received cards and cash from relatives and you have big plans for all of that money.  Grandma and Pop-pop sent you a box full of goodies and you had fun unwrapping everything early this morning. I wrapped your presents in leftover fabric bags from Christmas so I'm glad you had something with actual birthday paper to unwrap.  

Reina, I can't come up with one word to describe you right now.  You have a delightful sense of humor and will laugh for hours at old (and new) Saturday Night Live videos.  You also love a good chick flick and you'll watch history shows with your dad, as long as they aren't too bloody.  You are very interested in anime and you fill up notebooks with your own drawings.  You are planning to take art in junior high next year and I can't wait to see what you create next. 

You are have strong opinions about the state of the world right now and you are a social justice warrior.  You are a big fan of the underdog and you still ask me if professional athletes are sad when their sports team loses.  You love Hamilton and you watch James Corden's sidewalk musicals whenever you can.  You are hoping that theater camp happens this summer so you can get on stage and do your thing.  

We are so proud of you kid.  You are braver than you know.  You made it through (what I hope will be) the toughest year of your childhood.  You survived home schooling and isolation from your friends and cousins.  You survived me teaching you math and all of our baking adventures.  We didn't get to do any trips and you love to see new places. I hope that your 12th year brings new adventures and excitement (the good kind, not the pandemic kind).  We love you Reina. Happy birthday!!   

This week in pictures

This post will not contain any pictures of Will playing basketball because he hasn't been psyched for me to bring my camera to the games.  Tomorrow morning I'm getting up super early to drive to Nebraska to watch him play so he's not going to get a say about me bringing my camera along.  Back to the week.  Will had three games this week and his team went 2-1.  Will got to play in each game and even scored some baskets. 

Reina is eating a snack right next to me right now and delaying going to bed.  That's a daily occurrence for her.  She is counting down the days til her birthday (5!) and going to dance classes.  Next week she's going to try school volleyball and I'm probably more excited than she is.  

Will had a lot of homework this week. One of his projects was to write a timeline of his life with it broken down into eras, periods, etc.  He was supposed to find add some pictures for each section so of course we got on this very blog and found some good illustrations. Like this beachy fellow.  

I think this is 2010ish.  It might also be the last time he was shirtless in public.  

Because Will had two games back to back this week (the third game was actually on Saturday), he ran into a bit of a pickle when he didn't have another dressy outfit for school.  The basketball team dresses up on home game days,  Will has one go-to outfit. This is the point of the story where I feel like I should mention that I offered last weekend to take him shopping for some extras but I was politely turned down.  So Wednesday night, after his game and after everybody got fed, I zipped over to Target to get some extras. I did have to text him some pictures and call at one point to get sizes but I didn't do too badly and nothing has to be returned.  And yes, those our jeans.  That's what passes as dress pants around here.  

I had a pretty busy week at work.  This was the view from my computer's camera during one of my zoom calls this week.  The dogs and I are just one giant pack now and where one of us is, the rest of us have to be. 

Furthermore, the feline members of the family still like to have a few minutes of fresh air everyday, even when it's crazy cold.  With my new office location, they can't just pop in the window because there's a screen. Try explaining that to a yowling cat. 

"Go to the back door!  I can't let you in right here!" 

Glenn's hand continues to heal. All of the stitches are out and the skin is healthy.  He's still working with the OT to get flexibility and movement back but he's a determined guy.  

That's our week.  I've got to go set the alarm for insanely early.  Go basketball!