Winter storm Orion focused his mightiest energy right above our house: we got about 2 feet of snow and haven't been on the road since Wednesday.
Just after the power went out last night there was the unmistakeable
crack of a nearby tree going down. When that happens it's as if you've
taken a nasty fall, quickly checking yourself afterwards for cuts, bruises, breaks or sprains. All systems go? Great. Checking from all our windows we could see no damage.
We had no trees down, but the next door neighbors weren't so lucky. They lost one of the neighborhood's loveliest patriarchs, an enormous oak. It lay strewn across the street.
In the pitch black of the night, people managed to clear the road, but the driveway was left for this morning's work.
John is pretty glad he bought a new hard hat two weeks ago.
It is still treacherous out there because of the overload of snow on branches.
Every few minutes a thunderous avalanche crashes down from the fir trees. Scary!
Meanwhile the temperature slowly rises, turning snow into ice. The rain chain is a constantly changing self-made sculpture.
Big storms like Orion are met with a certain amount of excitement. I always look forward to the disruption of dramatic weather, but then sometimes it stays on like an unwelcome guest. Orion, it's time to move on, okay?
oh, the loss of those huge trees just pains me so. i am glad no one got hurt in your case (or structures). still...
ReplyDeleteNobody was hurt--even the mailbox made it through. Now if we can just keep people off the icy roads.
DeleteYup, you should have stayed in Wisconsin!!! Who knew?!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe we have more snow than you at the moment.
DeleteScary times. Those avalanches really look dangerous. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteI came indoors because of the avalanches! They are so treacherous. The one in the pic is just 50 yards from the house.
DeleteWhere are you that name winter storms? Beware that if you tell me, I will likely forget. :(
ReplyDeleteAV--I think they just started naming winter storms this year in the US. I like it. It wasn't fair that hurricanes hogged all of the names in the past.
DeleteTo answer your question, we are in western Oregon.
we don't get snow and ice storms. well, we get ice storms sometimes but not like that. we do get hurricanes though. they are scary, watching the branches thrash back and forth, waiting for the crack and is it your roof or your neighbor's, and then counting the damage, how many trees the neighborhood lost. losing a tree is painful. all that wonderful energy, gone.
ReplyDeleteI've been in just one hurricane, and that was enough. It was hurricane Opal, which came inland to Auburn, Alabama, and sent a tree down on our roof, crashing into our daughter's bedroom. Very frightening.
DeleteGood lord!
ReplyDeleteThe weather this winter!!
DeleteUgh!
ReplyDeleteJust say no to the winter.
Laoch, just 39 days until spring.
DeleteIt was fun and beautiful on Friday. Tolerable on Saturday. Not so much today. I plan to venture out this afternoon to see if I can make it to the grocery store. Here in the Pearl we have no avalanches just moving cars looking for a wreck to happen.
ReplyDelete39 days eh? Can't wait.
I'm glad pdx is doing ok. I'm driving up on Tuesday, that is if our road is passable. Heh. I thought I'd be out Friday afternoon.
DeleteOh it hurts to see that beautiful tree down. Thankfully nobody was hurt and no other damage aside from the tree. Still .. ouch! We lost one to a sudden gust of wind (microburst?) a few months ago. I know what you mean about enjoying the drama of weather.. just not the damage.
ReplyDeleteI guess we will get some fire wood out of it, but I don't like losing these big trees. As for the storm, one good thing is that the region desperately needed precipitation. (Too bad it mostly fell on our house.)
DeleteI like the way you photographed that tree. Your wreckage images look very much like what I am seeing here.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, the tree was massive & it was hard to get that to come across in a single photo.
DeleteOur storms were like bookends on either side of the country!
Incredible pics reflecting natures fury as well as beauty.The tree must have fallen due to over bearing weight caused by excessive snow & ice !
ReplyDeleteOne cannot argue with nature. The load of ice and snow was too much for this old tree, whose roots were no longer strong enough to bear it.
DeleteHow dare I even complain. Our weather looks like kindergarten in comparison. I would not survive what your are going through for sure.
ReplyDeleteOh I know that you would survive! I'm sure of it.
DeleteIt's been a brutal winter. We're now getting all the snow we didn't get earlier. We got plenty of ice, though - hated that. The stuff is pretty, though, isn't it? Your ice photos are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYes, what a winter. I love winter but this one has been crazy, and despite this pile of snow we are still behind in moisture!
DeleteOh no, that tree... :( Glad no humans were hurt, but how very sad. Lovely photos, though.
ReplyDeleteThere were deer browsing on its branches within hours of its fall. How happy they were to find it down. It's all a matter of perspective.
DeleteSo sad about the oak. My daughter sent video of her dog (Portland, OR) trying to negotiate in about 8" of snow, which was pretty hilarious. They were off Friday but had to go in today. She said it was scary, but they made it. This has to be the longest, harshest winter our country has seen in some time. We're even expecting another round of ice; unheard of in the Deep South. Sigh. Be safe out there!
ReplyDeletePortland got a pretty good dose, didn't they? And I heard about the ice predicted in parts of the south. So wild.
DeleteWow. Quite the weather for your area. My sisters in Monmouth went snowshoeing down their street as it was impassable for some time any other way!
ReplyDeleteJohn got his x-c skis out and went skiing twice. The snow was definitely deep enough for snowshoes!
DeleteFunny, the word bonging about in my head was 'Wow' and then I loaded the comments and saw Pauline's thought. Well, the post is inspiring a consistent response. I like the 'all systems go' bit. There's something so deeply human about that. This realization that when something awesome strikes, there's a moment where you more or less have to take a quick and dirty inventory. I think, globally, we're in for more of that. All that can be shaken shall be shaken!
ReplyDelete"All that can be shaken will be shaken." Oh man, that's just about everything I'm afraid.
DeleteI spent the night in Portland and when I drove back just now the neighbor's yard looked even worse, like a bomb went off, splinters and branches and logs everywhere. Somebody has been harvesting the firewood. I was thinking how everything gets worse before it can improve.
I just sighed. The best response I can give to this is Love > Fear.
DeleteThe best response of all, Suze. :)
DeleteWe have been seeing plenty of that as well. I like that you caught a snow avalanche in action.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
Oh, I hate what weather can do to beautiful old trees. :( I'm glad you all are okay.
ReplyDeleteThis really is a winter and a half all over the world. Either freezing and getting snowed under, burning to a frazzle or drowning in mud.
ReplyDeleteSomething’s wrong somewhere.
Sorry to hear that the weather has been wreaking havoc in your neck of the woods. Over here is the never-stopping rain that's done most of the damage. I hope you and your family are well.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.