Snowed in

My dad just retired.  After 40 years working on the railroad, he finally went to work for the last time. here is a pic of him coming home after his last day on Feb 4th 2010, one day after his 60th birthday...

It has been somewhat of a tradition for him and I to do an annual father son type trip for the past 4-5 years, though there have been a few years where we missed it, but in lieu of my recent decision to travel out west, we decided to get one in this year.   Our destination- Wild and Wonderful, West Virginia!

We knew there was snow in the forecast, but we never realized it could be 30+ inches of snow.  So we left friday around 10am and arrived around 2pm just when the snow was starting.  We built a fire, read for a while, made some dinner, opened a few beers, and enjoyed the snow.  The next morning we couldn't believe our eyes.   By 10am there was already 2 feet of snow and it wasn't forecasted to stop until much later in the day.  Another day or reading and listening to music had begun.

  Thankfully we had enough food for 3-4 days so we just let it be.   First priority... clearing a path to the hot tub.

and then, going into the hot tub.

brrrr.

You wouldnt believe the amount of snow out there... take a look at this picture of snow piled up on the picnic table just outside the windows.

And guess who got to shovel that snow?  That's right, this guy right here.  Thank god my dad and I decided to park the car at the END of the really long gravel driveway, but still, shoveling a path out to the car and then digging the car out was some task... two hours later, when I was just about to die from exhaustion, I came in (and got back in the hot tub).  Turns out the road outside the driveway was (and STILL IS) unplowed, so shoveling didn't get us very far.  If the road had been plowed- we would have left for Monroe, but it looks like we will be spending at least another night here.  The superbowl looks great on a 19" tv in the kitchen... really.

So with some luck, we will make it out tomorrow, however I am now officially behind schedule on my trip, but who could have planned for a two and a half foot snow storm, and to be honest, who cares.  This next phase is meant to be about the absence of a schedule anyway. (good thing, because they are calling for another massive snowstorm in NY from Tues-Wednesday... at least in Monroe we have a guy who comes to plow)  Here are a few more pics from the trip thus far...

The tub by night.

And a few icicles along the house.