Alas, no VATH.

Last night we were promised wind and rising temperatures and rain, which gave us hope. (These posts are starting to sound like entries from the Donner Party. Really, it's not that bad.) The wind kicked up, then suddenly disappeared. The temperature stayed right where it was, and the rain fell...as snow. It snowed much of the night--wet, heavy stuff.

Weather frog: things not improving.

Wake-up (sidewalk-shovelling) temp was about 2C, meaning melt was occurring, but not in a way you would notice.

Then, 8:30, drive-time. Cars were backed up from the school, around the block. When we got closer, we saw why. The road is still only one lane (one set of ruts, to be more precise), which cars going in both directions must share. Cars trying to exit the school's looping driveway were blocking those trying to get to the entrance, and vice versa. No way in, no way out. Children were having to get out of cars half a block from school and walk!

Eventually a smart dad (no, not me) took it upon himself to act as traffic cop, for which everyone seemed grateful. He got things moving again. Pickup is in an hour or so. We'll see how it goes.

I walked to Paulik Park to see what was new. This pool of water was. Much of the park is low-lying, and if we receive 40mm of rain tomorrow night and another 40mm on Wednesday, as advertised, things could get swampy. It was deep, clutching snow, and at one point I started thinking that a better plan for the morning might have been a pot of coffee and a view out the back window. I was hoping for a VATH (Varied Thrush), but this was not to be.

I stood a while and listened to thousands of little bits of slush and snow dripping off the trees. I have heard that exact sound before, but in a very different place: snapping shrimp. I must be yearning for the tropics, too (in addition to VATHs).

P.S. No sign of Squeaky, the Anna's Hummingbird. Thank you to the very kind person maintaining the feeder.