The barn got delivered on Thursday, and the snow got delivered on Friday.  I don’t remember ordering a blizzard — but it arrived, none-the-less.  And it kept right on delivering all the way through Saturday.

At first it was beautiful.  I always like that hush that comes with a blanket of snow.  It seems to absorb sound, traffic stops and a peacefulness settles in.  But it just wouldn’t stop coming!

Chris left for work early Saturday morning and got snowed in there; I spent the weekend snowed in alone, with a shovel, trying to keep ahead of the 24 inches.  Keeping a path open between the back door, the garage door and the basement door was all I could manage.   That — and a pot of chicken noodle soup, a pot of ham/bean soup and some trays of lasagna for the freezer.  We’re well stocked for the next snow storm.

My trek to the chicken coop was pathetic.  I felt like a little kid in a snow suit with the snow deeper than I could navigate.  Cute when you’re five.  Not so cute when you’re not five.  The snow hit mid-thigh and trying to hop, roll and push my way through the snow was not cute.  The hens had the right idea.  They wouldn’t even come out of their roost.  I should have stayed in my roost too.  Getting down the hill was one thing (reference the “roll” part above).  Getting back up the hill was another.

Chris made it home Sunday night and shoveled enough snow to get his car off the road.  He tackled the driveway on Monday with the snow blower and shoveled a path to the girls.  Before the next snow storm we need a rope line between the house and the coop!

This is not the first time this house has withstood a blizzard, and it won’t be the last.  Here are the previous top ten snow storms in the Philadelphia area — this one was near the top of the list!

1. 1996 – 31″
2. 2010 – 28″
3. 2009 – 23″
4. 1983 – 21″
5. 1909 – 21″
6. 1915 – 19″
7. 1899 – 19″
8. 1935 – 16″
9. 1941 – 15″
10. 2011 – 15″