Road Closed

This is the tree that was blocking our driveway.
One of our birches took a beating.
A branch about .25 of an inch in diameter is wrapped in ice.
The ice is actually quite pretty.
Cooper the Wonder Dog and That Certain Hanover High Junior tried a little sledding but came inside when the trees cracking and falling in our woods sounded like gunshots.

*

Heavy rain and wind overnight followed by rapidly falling temperatures and finally snow knocked out our power (read: internet) while dropping a tree directly across our driveway. It took a lot of sawing to open enough of the driveway for us to get out, but it was all to no avail because fallen trees blocked the road so thoroughly that even the town trucks couldn't make through. It looks like a war zone down the road, at least what I imagine a war zone would look like.

But I've got two stories due Tuesday and with a very good chance we won't have Internet again tomorrow, I threw caution to the wind late in the day and we took the four-wheel drive down the road hoping the trees had been cleared. Unfortunately, at the end of the road we found a tree completely blocking our way so I backed up, did a K-turn and tried the other direction. (First, though, we stopped to help dig out a four-wheel drive pickup that had gotten stuck, about the only vehicle we had seen all day. Good thing we brought two shovels with us.)

After freeing the truck, we headed to the opposite end of our road, which also was closed. (Our road is about three miles long with only two ways to get off it – and now both of them were closed.)

Still, I had those deadlines, so we went around the detour and slid down off the mountain. It was a little bit of an adventure but we finally made it into town – where the blacktop is showing! Hard to believe.

Anyway, there's no projection on when we'll get our power back so if you don't see an update tomorrow or the next day, you'll know why. If the power is still out I may be able to get into town but that depends on what happens tonight.

Without power we have no heat (cue up the sleeping bags) and no water because our well is electric.

Ah life on Moose Mountain! Here's hoping we make it home tonight. Cooper the Wonder Dog is awaiting us ;-)