Blizzard.it is SOOOO very BAD...PHOTO UPDATE

[Terry Wallace]

OMG...I haven't seen it this bad in many years.... TV news broke into regular programing and advised that both I-70 and I-25 from Denver to New Mexico is closed down...that route alone is over 250 miles of interstate...

YIKES...I'm worried my Husband won't be able to come home. There are state patrol troopers at Hwy 94 and Hwy 24 turning back people....... both are the way home...

It is drifting everywhere....and real bad right in front of the barn.... the horses are shut up inside...no way they are going out in this...!

[Terry Wallace]

Say Moonrize! Florida is lookin' pretty good about now.....

NAH! Just joking!

[DSDECKERT]

Terry - I've got a house in Florida I'll give you a good deal on!!!

[Terry Wallace]

Boy Deb...ya didn't miss a beat on that one!

And I'd LOVE that place...but could you MOVE IT TO TENNESSEE or New Mexico for me first????

See, ever since I went back to Tennessee... me can't stop THINKING about it!

But...I'm a "New Mexican" at heart!

[moonrize]

Okay Terry - things to do in a blizzard -
1. go outside and make snowangels and take pics to send to friends in sunny florida
2. put on a striped suit like a convict and begin tunneling your way to the barn with a spoon
3. Bake delicious paso fino shaped cookies to send to your snowless friends in Florida
4. Feel free to draw pictures of the world's best paso and just go ahead and send them to me since I own him
5. let your white horses loose in the snow and give them a 15 minute head start and see how long it takes to find them
6. Take a very hot shower and run outside and roll in the snow - gives your system a good jump start ;-)
7. just dream of Cowboy Ed's butt (uhm, then ya better go roll in the snow again)
8. start talking Deb into another horse so you can go spit at Brownie again

If you need more suggestions, just let me know. I'll be the one rinsing the sweat off my horses after we ride tonight :twisted:

[appyday]

:cry: I am sorry for you...but GLAD I dont live near ya.....

[Carol Nelson]

Oh boy, I guess I'll stay here in Texas...we've hit a cold spell today, let's see, it's in the 60's.
Stay safe, Terry, and remember...if they don't let Rick come home, it's for the best for him!

[Barbwire]

Hark! What's that sound? Could it be ed's ginormous ego swelling even more? GASP!
Run for the hills, he's gonna blow! http://smiley.onegreatguy.net/shocker.gif

[Terry Wallace]

Do you reckon our good buddy Ed could BLOW this SNOW to Kansas? :D

[Mellifluous]

Do you reckon our good buddy Ed could BLOW this SNOW to Kansas? :D


Would all of that hot air melt the snow? :bolts

[PASOFAN]

I hope he makes it home!! WOW does sound like one heck of a storm.. In a way I wish we were getting some big snow, here in MN we havent had ANY snow.. Today is some freezin drizzle, but it is about 35degress and isnt freezing. Thank god..

But I do wish we had some snow for christmas..

hang in there!! Build me a snowman when things settle!

[jodiTowne]

Hope you, hubby, and horses stay safe!!!!

[motorgypsy]

YIKES!!! I love snow IF I don't have to go anywhere and all the critters and I are under the same roof.

Reminds me - we went to Quebec, out on the Gaspe penninsula a few years ago and stayed at a place called Auberge Pegasus. It was a huge indoor arena with stalls and horses and upstairs were apartments and rooms with a central social room in the center - AND they had a fabulous restaurant in the same building. Now THAT'S my idea of heaven on earth!!!

No we wouldn't want to live there - too cold and foggy all the time - but the best and most reasonable food we've ever eaten, the cheapest camping, gorgeous scenery, whales and seals visible from the road, very helpful people even though our French is terrible. (We did try and I think that makes a big difference). Their state routes are for snowmobiles, not cars, all winter. AND they have actual indoor large cooking houses in the campgrounds. These people really take food seriously!!! A couple was in there grilling freshly caught fish in one of the fireplaces while we made spaghetti!! AHH memories!!

Sure hope your hubby makes it home easily and on time Terry!!! Hang in there!!

[ErinC]

so sorry to hear that !

:worthless

[Terry Wallace]

My man made it home safe.... I just heard on the news that Colorado is declared a "disaster" today by our governor..... I-25 is now closed from Wyoming border to New Mexico border, over 655 flights cancelled, all businesses in the city of Colorado Springs were asked to close...
Yep, its getting ugly...

Rick just went outside to feed early and check the horses while it is still light outside. I put my truck in the garage and there is about a five foot drift in front of the door now...

The dogs are in here with me.... all of them are chewing on their rawhide "bones".....

We will likely be snowed in tomorrow too....
Craps...!

P.S...Erin....you can't get photos in a blizzard like this!

[ErinC]

o bummer, well here is sending you some WARM HUGS!!!

sorry!!!!

[Laura S]

glad he is home safe! That storm is supposed to come east by the weekend, but we are supposed to get rain. :cry:

[Polly Aulton]

We had snow in Oklahoma--once.

Hee hee. Sorry you're snowed in but at least you are together. When do they predict it will stop? I understand they have another queued up to hit the NW and run this same track later this week. You and you spouse may be home for a while.

Take care--you'll be having a white Xmas for sure!
Polly

[moonrize]

Whew, Terry, glad your hubby made it home safe and sound AND in time to feed horses LOL. Now, I don't think you've started on that list yet....

[Barbwire]

Glad to hear your hubby is home safe and sound where he belongs, serving you booze and rubbing your feet. Which reminds me, where the heck is my hubby? :confused

[DebbieS]

We were supposed to get snow today, now they say most of it is going south of us (Colorado and Nebraska). We haven't had snow for a long time. It did rain a little last week..... They say we might get 2-4 inches overnight tonight. We really need the moisture, but I'm sure you could do without that blizzard, Terry! Stay warm!

[Monty]

Mud from snow thawing was just about dried up and now we are getting rain and not snow - miserable drizzle and 35 degrees :cry:

[Helene]

I'm LOVING it!!! It's so clean outside, a bit hard to walk in it...All the horses were quite frisky. Even Sophia, our 17 yr old was bucking and rearing. We got 8" of snow so far, more on the way. It's not really cold, right around freezing, yet. I fed all horses and worked up quite a sweat walking through the snow. The air feels fresh and clean. I would have loved staying out a while, but it got dark too quickly.
Now, we are sitting in front of our pellet stove...waiting for the bread to come out of the oven to go with the chowder. Afterwards, Melissa and I will sit down and continue reading a book we started this afternoon. (She is reading it to me). Everyone is home (hubby and kids). Horses have extra hay, blankets...As long as we have heat, water, and electricity...we'll be alright. Enough food and drink in the house...
I'll be checking on the horses later tonight, give them an extra snack...

[CarolU]

Saw it on the news Terry. So very sorry for all of you! You have my empathy!

It snowed here over the weekend and then cleared off. Every morning below zero...I'd rather have snow. So cold.

I'm thinking about you guys. Hope you keep power and heat and all do well.

[PasoVicki]

I'm glad everyone is home, safe and sound.

[motorgypsy]

I love good news!! Stay safe!!

[Helene]

This is a very dangerous storm. The county Terry and Carol K. are in, was declared a "disaster area". I'd hate to have to be out in this weather. All roads were closed yesterday. The city of Colorado Springs advised all businesses to close early yesterday. The postal service suspended all deliveries. Everyone is advised to stay off roads and home.
Many travelers are stranded, since all major roads and Denver airport are closed till this evening. I'm so glad I have no travel plans right now. I've talked to several of my friends and they are all "tucked in". We had some warning that this might be a major storm. Hopefully, this will break the drought we've been in for several years now. The last storm of this size was in 1997.
The forecast for Sunday is temperatures in the 50's and sunny. That's what I like about Colorado. The snow doesn't last for very long....2 to 3 days and then...we'll have sunshine and blue skies.

[Minouri]

Terry, glad to hear your man made it home. On the news they kept talking about all the people who were stranded and I thought of you.

Can you take pictures AFTER the blizzard? Up here we're going to have a rainy Christmas. Yuk.

[DSDECKERT]

Come on over to TN Terry - it's 65 degrees today!! They are calling for flurries on Christmas day, which is kinda cool. I haven't had snow for Christmas since I lived in Chicago in 1991.

I saw on the news that the Denver Airport is closed, most likely most of today too, and parts of that area got over 2 feet of snow - YIKERS! Hope you guys are doing ok today.

[Terry Wallace]

WHEW...what a night.....the blowing of the 50 mph+ winds was awful...
We have a 12 foot door on the barn and the drift is more than half way up the door....
There are 6 foot drifts every where...have not been able to see the driveway yet (no visibility)....

Well...no work today! I guess I will fix some eggs & pancakes when Rick gets back in the house.... photos later IF it stops blowing...I hate the blizzard....I step out the door and and my glasses are immediately covered with snow... Same thing happens to the camera lens...

I'm so glad my dogs are "paper trained" as they are way too small to go out in sub-zero wind chill weather like this...

The blizzard is supposed to subside this afternoon...

[appyday]

ugggg ALL my dogs are paper trained....6 BOXERS and 2 little ones... :-?

[Terry Wallace]

Isn't it funny how the dogs are really embarrased, and really do not want to "go" in the house.... They do not like to soil their "home ground"....
It is letting up a little... I let two of them out for a short, short break...my weenie/Aussie mix must have been holding it all night!


Hey Helene...want to meet at P.F. Changs for LUNCH????


Just joking! The driveway is drifted in.....I seriously doubt if we will be dug out by late afternoon...

The Highways are still closed...

Well..time to suit up and grab a shovel.... ;-)

[Mellifluous]

Isn't it funny how the dogs are really embarrased, and really do not want to "go" in the house.... They do not like to soil their "home ground"....
It is letting up a little... I let two of them out for a short, short break...my weenie/Aussie mix must have been holding it all night!


Hey Helene...want to meet at P.F. Changs for LUNCH????


Just joking! The driveway is drifted in.....I seriously doubt if we will be dug out by late afternoon...

The Highways are still closed...

Well..time to suit up and grab a shovel.... ;-)


Ya'll can meet me for lunch at the PF Changs here in GA...

I LOVE that place!

[CarolU]

We get lake effect snow here every few years, get several feet of snow. No fun. Something that helps is when shoveling, to shovel about a 4 foot square potty spot off the sidewalk or walkway. That way the dogs have someplace to go that you won't step in. They need the snow shoveled so the top is lower then their crotch. For your little dog, this means pretty well to ground level.

When we lived in northern Maine Terry, this was the 'norm'...but he end of winter the snow would be 10 feet deep everywhere there wasn't a walkway or tunnel shoveled.

[Terry Wallace]

Whatever you shovel off here...will quickly be re-drifted!
At least there ARE some bare spots between the drifts!

Sometimes the drifts get so tall...that horses and cattle can walk out over the top of the fences......

I wonder if many cattle have died from this storm out in pastures on the high plains....we are at 6500 feet of altitude right here..... it is usually WORSE for weather east of us... I am wondering how the Kuipers are doing...they are about 15 miles east of us...

[DebbieS]

Well, we woke up to sunny skies and no snow :( I really want a white Christmas. It's supposed to be around 40 today. If we get some clouds, maybe......

[Helene]

Hey Terry, doubt I could make it to the Springs. The pass (hwy115) gets REAL bad when it snows. But, come "down" here, Canon City barely got any snow at all.
Penrose, here, got 8", no wind, no drifts. It's beautiful out now. Sky is turning blue. I think we might see some sun soon. I had to break ice on 8 troughs of water. It took me longer than usual to feed, but it was fun. All of my horses seem to be comfortable. The baby ...I am getting attached to her. Pete picked up her mom on Saturday. He might be taking baby, too, after all. I put grey Sophia next to her and baby wasn't too upset. about mom leaving. I had seperated them a few days before. She is eating well, loves being scratched (especially on her butt). She whinnies when she sees a person.
Terry, you can HAVE the weather where you are at. I take it here anytime! It's so amazing how different areas are here in Colorado. Terry lives only about 50 miles away from me and the climate is soooo different! I've visited Carol K. a few years ago after a snow. There was one blanket of snow....all her cars were under it, couldn't tell where any were. Hank had cleared the driveway with his backhoe....Drifts were up to the barn roof. And the snow this time was much worse! Her older son lives next to her. plce...I hope they can get to the horses...

[Monty]

I almost wish he were getting snow - it is rainy and bone chilling cold :(
At least with snow we can move it to a spot that doesn't pond or make the paths a mess !
39 - wind chill 31 and rain ------- YUK :roll:

[LynnG]

Yep, its on the news here in NC about "your" blizzard!

Stay warm and safe! Ya got electricity at least....surf, and a few less horses to feed/care for!

We will be getting rain from "it" in a few days as the front makes it way east. My Dad is headed west today, north of it though. I like mild winter weather.

Terry, lets' see some pics! so we can see a white Christmas!

[Terry Wallace]

The drift in my training pen....that pen is five foot 6" tall at the top rail....
THAT is how horses walk out over the top of pens!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/twobarwpaso/Trainingpendrift122006WEB.jpg

[Terry Wallace]

I found the 300 gallon water tank ...FINALLY !! Lots of digging today....darn good exercise though my metal knee joint doesn't like the cold much!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/twobarwpaso/Stocktankburied12212006WEB.jpg

[Terry Wallace]

I don't think I'll be getting my PT Cruiser out anytime soon!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/twobarwpaso/PTCruiser12212006.jpg

[Terry Wallace]

Rick shoveling out the barn door drift from the back of his work truck....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/twobarwpaso/Rickdigsoutthedoordrift12212006WEB.jpg

[CarolU]

Oh wow...those are SOME drifts! It reminds me of when I lived on the ranch. I opened the back door to a wall of white. Had to go out the front door and find the shovel and dig for over an hour to unbury the back door. The drifts on the highway are the BEST though. People drive across them, only to get about halfway, and SINK.

Terry, I really feel for you! That's a LOT of work!!!!

[appyday]

Holy Molly Batman...that beautiful but alot of work..

[Brigitte]

Wow..alot of snow...

[Moniece Dickerson]

YIKES!!!THAT was enough to make me NEVER want to move to Colorado!WAY too cold for me!Your friend,Moniece

[Carol Nelson]

YUCK!!!! You can keep that stuff, thank you very much!!!

Somewhere I have photos of my daughter and stepdaughter standing on top a seven foot drift in our yard when we lived in Minnesota. It was as high as our privacy fence and that was 7 ft. tall!!!

Brigitte, sweetie, have you even SEEN snow in real life???? ;-)

I pity you, Terry! ;-) :lol:

[moonrize]

I'll take the skeeters any day over that stuff. :twisted: But where are my snow angel pictures? and my cookies??? [whines loudly]

[Linda Y]

Terry, according to the weather map, we are in the same system you are. We are FLOODED! The horses have been in all day, there is water in the back room and the pastures and front yard look like a lake. I see it is suppose to keep up all night. We were supposed to be gone now to attend that meeting for the subdivision, but it is WAY too nasty to get out in this! At least it isn't cold!

[Rusel]

THAT'S WHY I MOVED FROM COLORADO after 16 years... and yes in 5 days all the snow will be gone and then the real pain starts.... mud...

Come on Terri... you can stay at my place for the winter.... I'll even let you run the ac to get it cold enough to be comfortable...

Hoping you and all of yours stay safe and healthy....

And hope Carol and Hank can travel the 20 miles to get back and forth to take care of their horses... I know they get snowed in pretty bad...

[LynnG]

hehe... my dad didn't get his flight out to go west; he'll try again tommorrow. I'd stay put here until next week.

[appyday]

We get mud too..I had MUD

[Minouri]

I know it must be a pain.....but it does look purty. :new confused I'd like a little white here for Christmas.

[Heidi]

I much prefer snow to mud. Snow melts and dries and you're done. Mud dries and you have to vacuum or sweep. Gah!
I expect you keep the horses in until the snow isn't high enough for them to walk out?
Heidi

[motorgypsy]

Looks like tons of work but it is beautiful!!!

I hate sucking mud and we get it all winter here!! It's cold and raining now but all the horses have their blankies on so they're toasty. We get so much rain we'll actually have horses with rain rot all over their backs if we don't at least put a sheet on since they insist on staying out in it. DUMMMBBB!!

[CarolU]

I much prefer snow to mud. Snow melts and dries and you're done. Mud dries and you have to vacuum or sweep. Gah!
I expect you keep the horses in until the snow isn't high enough for them to walk out?
Heidi

So, how do you go from Snow to Dry without Mud inbetween?

Case in point:

http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/231153FacesDiablo-med.jpg

[CarolU]

Okay..this is TOO funny. When I went to Pethobbyist to find that photo of Diablo, I came across this one called "My Car"..

http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/101887Digipics_824-med.jpg

[pnalley]

Snow is beautiful, but like most pretty things it is deceiving. I don't envy what you are going through.

Here in Georgia a threat of snow is a reason for us to mob the grocery store, package store & gas station.

When we get 3 snowflakes we STOP. Schools close, mail stops, we go on holididay. Laugh if you like. We have snow so rarely, and it usually is a wet snow that turns to ice. I LOVE getting a mini vacation when it threatens to snow :shock:

[Terry Wallace]

Its not too hard CarolU..to go from snow to dry....when you live mostly on decomposed granite.....it doesn't make much mud!

The snow evaporates and melts.... mud hasn't ever been a problem here, at my place..... even in heavy rains.... it seems to go from wet-to-rock hard........

If we had more mud...no doubt we would have better pasture GRASS! ;-)

[CarolU]

Ah, that's it then Terry. I live on lake bottom clay and it turns back into lake bottom mud pretty easily. And it's the kind of mud that'll suck your shoes right off. Nasty stuff and nasty footing when it's mucky.

[DebbieS]

Right now the Black Hills are in serious fire danger (the worst December yet). We really need some moisture. I'll take some snow! I did see some clouds off to the west this evening. Maybe....

I hate springtime because of the mud. We have gumbo here and your shoes are pretty much ruined if you walk in it. Makes great gardens, though. You just can't weed for 2 days after watering (or rain).

[Helene]

Today, I went to Canon City, a town about 10 miles from where we live. While most of Colorado was hit by the snowstorm...there was NO snow whatsoever to be seen. Not even a hint of snow....It was real weird to go there from here. We had 8 to 10" of snow and there was NOTHING, not even wetness from rain or melting.
Here, we had a beautiful day of sunshine and half of the snow is already gone. It is very muddy outside, but we REALLY needed the moisture. Hopefully this will break the "drought cycle".