SNOWMAGEDDON!

Our mild Northwest winter was given a sudden shake-up which brought substantial changes to the landscape and homes of tens of thousands of people. We had been coasting along with such a temperate winter, my tree mallow, perennial bachelor buttons, and a few rose bushes never lost their leaves and were even attempting to flower. We found ourselves yearning for a little snow, and I personally was just about to fall spread-eagle on any wayward, drifting snowflake and wildly start making a snow angel, no matter what the neighbors thought. Whispers of change hit the weather reports and we were given a head's-up that snow was on the horizon and in a big way. The first couple of days a light snow fell and the trails and roads around us were a manageable slush. I was reveling in the quiet stillness of the falling snow and filled with thankfulness for the silent beauty the snow created as it filled all the tiny crevices in the leaves and fir needles, accenting the green and covering the branches and ground with a light carpet of sparkle.

..."And then it happened, woo-hoo!",as the old techno song's lyrics come to mind.  We woke up to a huge snow-dump that brought some weighty changes to our surroundings. The picture below is our front yard.

The picture below is of a friend in my area's front yard.

Now, those of you from colder climates are probably, scoffing over these pictures, as no big deal.  However,we coastal Northwesters are not at all conditioned to this, and once more, neither are our trees. Nature has a way of pruning its branches by falling off in wind, ice, or storm and our pruning had begun.  As two more days of heavy snow fell, we then woke up to an ice storm and no electricity.  Branches of trees littered the ground and everything looked like a sugary glazed dessert. The first picture is of a friend's front window after a branch entered their living room.  Electricity in my neighborhood was out for about two and half days, but many almost two weeks later are still waiting for their power.  Wind storms have followed up, making our electricity spotty at best and clearing out even more of our area's tree branches which were weakened earlier.

My young little yard trees are still pliable and not really big enough to suffer, it was the large Douglas Firs across the road from our back fence, that I kept eyeing suspiciously and prayed would stay put.

Our little town looked like a war zone. Trees and branches littered the ground and utility workers from seven states have come to the rescue.  The sound of chain saws still fill the air and chipper-shredder trucks are blocking many lanes as they attempt to clear the roadways.  Some grocery stores were giving food away the first few days from their darkened powerless buildings. Don and I closed up the bedrooms, and snuggled in front of our battery back-up little gas fireplace with flashlights and candles, our rations were getting low, but that only tickled my creativity.

 Now, I'm a fidgety kind of person who when I have to be inside, spends a fair amount of time at the windows like a cat dreaming of high adventure.  Actually, my mom has lovingly described me as, " A dog who is tough to keep under the porch". Ha!  A week before the storm, I had developed some tendinitis in my hand that kept me housebound with some pain issues, then the storms hit and I paced the house with restlessness.  Don and I played Parcheesi and read, but when I didn't think I could handle it much longer, we heard a knock at the door.  Our neighbor was there, inviting all the people in the cul-de-sac to come to her house with whatever ration we had left in our cupboard for a pot-luck of plenty. We eagerly accepted and had a wonderful time! We all laughed and shared our adventures without electricity and bonded together like never before. 

I began hearing story after story of kindnesses from strangers during this time, and families without electronic distractions that came together listening to each other, and loving through games of strategy and chance, group story times, and long talks. Jesus says in  John 13:34, "A new command I give you: Love one another, as I have loved you, so must you love one another".  I think God must have been more than a little pleased as he saw life slowing down for some, and hearts being brought closer together in spite of logistical challenges.

Some people can bend and sway to challenges like my young trees, accepting life as it is.  Others may be like my little coral-barked maple whose salmony color glowed even brighter as the cold increased. Many of us need a little trimming done and we learn to sit still while troubled areas are removed, or honed so our life skills are more affective. 

And for those who are feeling overwhelmed, God speaks to us in Isaiah 40: 28-31, "The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagle's; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  May your heart be filled with hope during the storms that will come your way.