Still freezing...

Looking west down Central Rd from Mission Rd, Everson, WA

There's no real way to convey scale without me hiking back out there with a yardstick (which I'm not about to do in 10F temps), but Central is a two-lane road, and those drifts on the right are over 2 feet deep. The left side of the road is wearing a 2 inch layer of ice.

Much of Whatcom county is in similar condition, and looks to remain so through tomorrow. Then we get another round of rough weather. Warmer, just enough to melt some ice, but still cold enough that 4 more inches of snow are forecast before it turns to rain.

You'd think an all-wheel drive Outback with studded tires would pretty much guarantee a smooth commute, but my Seattle roots go deep, and the slip-slidey feel of iced pavement, combined with drop off on either side of most roads makes for a gut-twisting drive.

None of which is helped by the auto graveyard that passes for scenery now. I constantly creep past SUV's, trucks, minivans, sedans, in various states of uprightness. From crushed and spun all the way to fully embedded in snow, roof down. I'd have posted more pictures, but accidents get a bit depressing. Mt. Baker was out today and absolutely stunning. But the only good vantage points for a picture also required two hands on the wheel. I figured home safe, without postcard mountain, was better than sitting in a ditch, peering at my prize pic in the tiny digital camera window, while waiting 4 hours for a tow truck....

Ahhh....country life. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post about the fun and hijinx involved with keeping 2 cats, 2 dogs, 1 parrot, 2 goats, 1 cow, and 29 chickens warm, fed, and passably content, in record low temperatures. (Yes, it involves getting up at 2:45am and multiple buckets of hot water!)