Seattle Solstice Storm 2008

We've got about seven inches of snow here in our little neighborhood outside of Seattle, and it's still snowing.

The big huge teenage boys are having fun, and their strength and ability to shovel and clean off cars is fantastic.

When we lived in Minnesota, they were still little boys, playing in the snow throwing snow balls, building snow forts.

OK, not that much has changed. They still throw snow and make snow forts. But Peter says, "I got bigger than I used to be when I was six! I used to fit in a fort this size!"

No kidding. Lots bigger.
The old folks still remember how to clear a driveway and sidewalks, too.

Especially important to make the mailboxes clear so our poor Northwest neighbors don't fall while they are out collecting their Christmas cards. So we cleared the sidewalks over to the mailbox too. This, for the neighbors who report us to the housing gods for having too many weeds in our yard. Oh well, 'tis good for us to do the right thing. Both with the weeds and the shoveling.

This weather has been completely unusual for the Northwest. Here we usually get a little snow and by the next day it's melted off. But we've had some snow on the ground from last Sunday until now and it's stayed cold enough to keep it. We've had more snow coming along every couple of days. And now we've had the big Seattle Solstice Storm yesterday and today.

All the smaller and midsize UU churches in the Seattle are seem to have cancelled services today. Today! Music programs, Solstice Pageants, Child Blessings! Big stuff, mister. Many of us decided it was just too dangerous to hold the service.

None of this snow looks to be going any place anytime soon.

As long as my little family is together, and our Elf work is complete, well then I guess we'll just enjoy a White Christmas!