Waterford Snow Sacrifice

As opposed to Santana's Soul Sacrifice... Enough is enough. When will it stop? It's snowed a handfull of times already here in November which is unusual for us in the "Southern half" of Maine. Not that it's snowed really but that it's snowed a lot and hasn't melted. This is still fall damnit! With today's storm we've gotten another 8 - 14 inches (20 - 35 cm). It started snowing last night around 7 and it's still piling it on at one in the afternoon next day. It was already 5 inches (12.5 cm) when I went to bed around 11. I'll measure it when I go out to shovel.

The power is out so I'm not opening any exterior doors unless I have to. The woodstove it going so it's okay in the livingroom. Small miracles it's just freezing outside (32F/0C). We're doing the mellow yellow, downtown brown thing with stored water. If necessary I can melt some snow and use that too. Luckily we both took showers last night. CMP says 220 people are without power in Waterford and we should expect our power tonight around 7 p.m. Oh joy! So it's been out all night and all day. Fun times. Well at least we can warm stuff and cook tea water on the woodstove.

So the snow total so far in November is roughly 30 inches (75 cm). That's almost 3 feet! Insult to injury it hasn't even thought about melting any time soon. That means it's going to be the start of our winter snowpack in November. The snowpack doesn't start accumulating until late December or even January in one year. Some lakes in the area have also started to ice up. Not that I would walk on it. Anybody who does is going to be found next spring - sleeping with the fishes. It's just skim ice. No wheres near enough to hold body weight yet. I haven't seen this kind of fall weather since years ago in Aroostook county. The crown of Maine they call it. There is would snow early and often. I remember one time it was -40F for 2 straight weeks. It was weird. At night it would look like light had a hard time going very far. Like it was too cold to penetrate the air or something. I remember another time I went to some hill I know wna rode a tobaggon to the bottom. When I got off I went in to my armpits. I had to "swim" back up the hill to get out of there. In "the county" in winter you could stand on the snow banks and touch the power wires, if you were dumb enough to do so.

Yesterday we just managed to get the final bit of our firewood into the trailer to haul into the garage. If we hadn't of had a little bit of a break with abouve freezing weather we would have had to carry that wood up to the garage by the armful. Or dug out a path to push a wheelbarrow up the hill. I was just able to get the trailer hitched on to the 4Runner and back down close enough to the pile in fourwheel drive to get it loaded. All the wood that I had left to split and stack is now buried under a foot or more of snow. They're also stuck together like ice cubes in a bag of store bought ice. Doesn't look like I'll be getting a jump on next year's firewood this fall.

So my question is Why? What have we done? Who is to blame? More importantly what can be done to MAKE IT STOP ALREADY! I'm thinkin' we must somehow of offended someone or something. We must now atone for our sins and transgressions. Maybe an animal sacrifice or two would bring them around. I'll be damned if this is going to turn out to be some kinda Stephen King "Storm of the Century" scenario. I got 2 mice in traps in the garage last night I wonder if that will do. I can burn some incense and mumble some words and offer them to the gods and goddesses of the cold and white winter night. I'll keep the woodstove burning brightly so the Krampus can't get in either. You would think the cats would protect us but there too interested in sitting in front of the woodstove. Makes it damn hard to keep it loaded.

PS: The power came on at 2 p.m. so heat is on and lights are working again. We give thanks for this thin veil of civilization and comfort that can be withdrawn at any time. I went out to shovel a little bit. It's 12" (30 cm) easy enough. A little more in some spots. It's still snowing now at 6 p.m. The cascading avalanches of snow from the roof onto the porch or back deck is thunderous and ongoing. Shakes everything and causes the cats to jump. They particularly enjoy the long icy slide from the front porch roof. Sounds like the claws of some wicked beast scratcing at the house trying to get in.

Good night everyone. Don't let the Krampus bite.