Hercules Shows Muscle

(I just had to use that title.  It was the headline at TWC

homepage a few hours ago and it was so bad, it was good.  If you get my drift.  Oops.  Shouldn't say, "drift" today.)

Not Bad, So Far. There's about 4 inches of heavy, wet snow on the ground here.  It's weighing heavily on power lines, tree branches and the thick stands of bamboo all over the neighborhood. The bamboo next door is stooped over almost to the breaking point. 

Snow was still falling before dawn and the winds sent it swirling in all directions - including into my front door - and the huge flakes made visibility difficult.  Couldn't see the road or my car.  Sort of a pre-dawn white-out at the beach. 

The lights flickered a few times earlier, but so far the power has remained on. I hope that continues to hold true. I am not in the mood (or physical condition) to dig out the car and attempt driving around to find a hotel room somewhere. 

Currently, the winds are around 20 mph with higher gusts and the temperature is 18'F. High wind warnings in effect until 6 pm tonight and coastal flooding is possible. The sun is valiantly trying to make an appearance, without much success thus far.

I had planned to do laundry today, but with this much snow I think I'll pass.  No need to track slush up the stairs and into the apartment.  Maybe just a movie to get through the day would be best.

I have a large beef roast in the freezer and a hardy pot roast would be just the thing for such a day, but it would take hours to thaw, so maybe I'll save the idea for tomorrow, or Sunday.

That said, we're not out of the woods here and it looks like a rough day ahead.  Schools and many businesses are closed, as are banks and government offices. Folks are advised to stay home and not drive cars.  High winds, blowing and drifting snow could make travel dangerous. Staying off the roads is the best idea.

I have a bottle of champagne and a Merlot in the refrigerator. And, of course, there are always those olives I keep putting off because of the prescription drugs.  That could change if I get more stir-crazy than usual today.

Stay safe and warm everyone. Oh, and Cheers!

More later.

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