A dispatch from the 716….

That was a three-day stretch to remember. And we didn’t even get the brunt of it this time.

I honestly don’t recall a previous time when we lived under an official blizzard warning. Winter weather, winter storms, sure…but an actual according-to-Hoyle blizzard? Nope. So that’s off the list of, well, somebody’s list, anyway. It wasn’t on mine.

In our neck of the 716, we actually did not take this one on the chin, like we do on most events that include a significant lake-effect component (such as, oh, last weekend…and the big one from six weeks ago). As I write this it’s 1:45pm on Christmas Day and we’re getting hit by the northern edge of the snow band which spent most of the last two days absolutely drilling Buffalo and the northern suburbs, before it finally moved south overnight (giving us another foot as it passed by) and then shifted north again about 90 minutes ago.

I’m long on record as loving winter and snow, but this winter has thus far been a pretty severe test of those convictions.

But we’re still alive and well, we have plenty of food and thus far we haven’t lost power, and we frankly are in a much better situation than many. We’re doing OK. In fact, aside from my having to suit up and do a bit of shoveling every six hours or so (just a bit of maintenance shoveling, keeping the furnace vents cleared and making sure Carla has access to someplace to relieve herself, actually digging out the cars can wait, and why not, there’s a county-wide driving ban so we couldn’t go anywhere if we wanted to!), it’s actually been a lovely Christmas thus far.

But for a lot of people in my region it’s been a cold and dark and stressful and worrisome Christmas. I hope they come out of this and find a chance for some joy at some point. This was just nasty.

Anyway, Merry Christmas, everyone!

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