This is our 3rd blizzard in 6 days. I think the other two were just practice for this one. School was let out early, business closed at noon, not a soul in site outside....that is if you could see outside.
When we woke up this morning the wind was already blowing around all the snow we have gotten over the last couple of weeks. Wind howling in from the east. In the wintertime our prevailing hate and discontent comes from the east southeast. I didn't even bother to listen to the radio or call the school. I knew they wouldn't cancel school.
Come hell or high water they don't cancel school here. The reason, as Maija explains on her blog, is this...."The district here is smarter than your average Anchorage school district. A while back, they canceled school in Anchorage for four days in a row, due to freezing rain. Now they have to make up those days on Saturday, and at the end of the year. Not so for Kotzebue. We tell parents that they have the choice to bring their kids to school and they will not be counted absent that day if they don't come, due to the storm, then by 12:30, they tell parents who DID bring their kids to school to pick them up! That way, we don't have to make up any days. THAT's how you do it folks!"
As you can see, my neighbor's house is disappearing.
The driveway (that we just got done shoveling for the umpteenth time) was drifted over so I parked my truck at the end off the driveway. I bet the engine compartment is packed full of snow by now. Next tiem I turn on the heater blower snow is gonna come flying out.
This is my back door. The back door that I have not opened once today. When it gets nasty here the snow leaks into every tiny crack and crevice.
Uyaana is happy that he got to leave school early and go play Wii.
6 comments:
In the Deep South, if it threatens snow, people line up at the grocery store for bread and milk, and school is cancelled. it is ridiculous!
Jane
Wow, Kotzebue kids are gnarly dudes! Looks like a perfect day for playing the Wii to me! What's your score?
Amazing how the snow can sneak in through a tiny crack in the door!
Sounds like a great baking day if it's stormy outside!
Thanks Cathy for sharing your part of Alaska with us!
Kathy
I enjoyed my visit here...and will return...
Kit (aka LabLady)
Question: Why do you need a car in Kotz? Isn't a snow-go enough to get you around town?
I'm only asking because I live in windy, snowy Chicago where many people have to park outside and shovel their cars out in the winter. Many decide that it's not worth the hassel.
If I lived where you live, and had to deal with that amount of snow, then I sure would be tired of shoveling my car out every morning.
In all the years that I have lived in Kotzebue, this is the first time that I have bought a truck. I have always gotten by with snow machines and 4 wheelers (atv's). This winter I had the oppertunity to buy the truck. It's a 1991 Silverado...very used and very cheap so the price was right. I bought it so that my mom could drive it. It's not that big of a deal for me to have to ride around on a snogo when it is -30F but it is for my mom...especially first thing in the morning on the way to work and when the weather is crummy. There have been several times since I got it, during really cold weather or 50mph winds, where I have been real happy to have it. It will also be nice in the summer when it is raining and I would get soaking wet riding to work on my four wheeler. So having a truck or a car is not necessary in Kotzebue but it can be nice.
...but you know....big bad ass trucks are becoming a status symbol in Kotzebue. Some people have these big, brand new $40,000 king cab trucks here. They may live in a shack but they sure gotta cool truck.
Hi,
I live in Anchorage and I thought it was pretty silly to cancel school for three days in a row (not 4) but what do I know? The roads were pretty bad, but we get the Chinooks/rain/freezing/thawing every winter! Growing up here I can only remember 2 days of cancellation my whole elementary/high school career.
I mean, we didn't have the blowing snow like you are having in Kotzebue, but we went to school no matter what the conditions.
Times have changed.
The school district took away one scheduled in-service day and canceled the parent-teacher conferences (half days) to make-up for they missed. I haven't heard anything about my kids having to attend on a Saturday. I may have to check that out. That would be strange.
Stay inside and keep warm!
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