Snow blowing sideways

So I'm at my desk thinking it would be lovely if the dentist decided that for everyone's safety he should close the office and send everyone home (this would include cancelling my 12:15 appointment). Then I would not have to drive in this (the photo was taken after I knocked the snow off the car and shoveled the driveway and sidewalk for the first time):

The other people involved wouldn't need to drive in it, either, except to get home . . . before it gets worse. We have an official blizzard happening right now, and the blizzard warning is in effect until midnight tomorrow night. No, the local schools have not cancelled classes (although the schools in Denver have, and the locals have cancelled all after-school activities).

The dogs made sure my daughter and I have already thoroughly experienced the "severe weather imminent or occurring." We took them for their usual thirty-minute morning walk. It was much pleasanter walking east or south. We thought west was bad until we turned to go north.

This lovely item kept the drafts from getting inside my jacket:

It's a qiviut gaiter. It's the exact one shown on page 152 of Donna Druchunas' Arctic Lace, because Donna gave that one to me after we finished the book. It required less than one ounce (about 25 g) of laceweight qiviut, knitted in a tube in a ribbing-type stitch for elasticity. Donna used a very simple eyelet ribbing pattern. It puts two layers of qiviut right where they're most needed for a walk in a blizzard. I love it. Especially today, although we've had other, less severe days when I have also been delighted to pull it out of its protective bag (it's qiviut, after all) and settle it cosily around my neck.

My daughter may not be going to work today (one of her four or five part-time jobs). She's already called in and the manager on duty says that people are shopping but that the roads are bad, so she doesn't want to endanger the staff by asking them to drive. R. will not go in for her on-call shift and will phone again later and see whether she needs to report at 1 for her regular shift.

Meanwhile, she's been sitting on the couch and figuring out what she can cook from the supplies that are on the premises. Latkes!

She asked if I could get a photo of the snow blowing sideways in big gusts. I tried, but the fluff's falling in tiny flakes (lots of them) that are hard to capture.

And I'm hoping the dentist will indeed be sensible.

Whether he is or not, I intend to spend a chunk of today working on the layout for the book we'll publish next fall. I finished roughing out another chapter yesterday. That was chapter 5, Denmark. I also dipped my toe into chapter 6, Norway, and will plow forward more deeply into that territory today.

And I'd like to do a bit of knitting. When I woke up this morning, I did finish the border at the top of the second sleeve while I watched the snow outside the window. The photo could be better, but not under today's conditions. The sweater would be a nice one to wear on a day like today. Although I strongly doubt that I will get it finished in time for this storm.

Assessment:

• Blizzard outside.
• Warm house, with backup heat available.
• Pantry reasonably well stocked.
• Progress on laying out a book.
• Knitting at a good spot for picking up and working a row now and again.
• Some reading to catch up on.

It could be a perfect day.

If I haven't heard from the dentist's office by 11:30, I think I'll call and suggest that it might be wise if all of us were safely and warmly at home for the rest of the day, and possibly tomorrow, too.

P.S. Two minutes after posting: The phone rang. It was Jennifer, who runs the dentist's front desk. My appointment's rescheduled for February 1. Ah, life is good! Latkes! Cocoa! No driving in a blizzard! Just another dog walk later today . . . wearing a qiviut gaiter.

Comments

[Donna Druchunas]

Hey, those are my driving gloves in that photo!

I cancelled my appointments today, too. Just doing bookkeeping and editing a chapter about basic crochet stitches in a book by another author. And, getting lots of emails from people who want to meet with me at TNNA next month. Maybe it's good that my 2nd class got cancelled. The class I am teaching is almost full, and I'll have more time to network and schmooze!

[Deborah Robson]

You're going to have to share stories when you come back from TNNA! I've never been.

[Judy P]

Yes,a perfect day here too. Tomorrow also sounds promising for staying in and knitting. Maybe I should cast on for a gaiter.

[Judy]

FYI -- According to the local news segment on KUNC, some muckety-muck of our local school district officially apologized for not calling a snow day today, and finally let everybody go home (officially) at 2 p.m.

I'm not a knitter, but at the moment, I am seriously considering taking it up - the snow is shoulder height (and I am not a petite person) on our back porch, not counting the tunnel-like structure we have shoveled (repeatedly) for the much-shorter-than-the-snowdrifts dog. Vividly colored (so you can find me when I fall into a drift) toasty warm (so I don't freeze while awaiting rescue) sweaters sound like an excellent idea...

Judy

[Deborah Robson]

Yes, Judy, you can knit! and your ideas about color and warmth make perfect sense. By the way, did you know that wet wool *generates heat*? A chemical reaction occurs as the water is absorbed into the wool and that reaction generates a bit of warmth. Synthetics don't do this.

More photos today. I just took them.

[Leslie]

You're making that sweater in my size, right? ;-)

It's stunning!