Walking in a Whiteout

What a weekend for weather! We had pouring rain all day Saturday. On Sunday, there were intermittent whiteouts all day long, followed by gusty winds that rattled the rafters and cleared the cobwebs out of the sky.

As is my custom, I went for a walk in the morning, over to one of my favorite ponds in the Scotia Barrens. After the marvelous amphibian experience we experienced while sitting by a vernal pond up on Sandy Ridge the other day, I was curious to see if any frogs might be out at my own local pond.

The report from my favorite pond, and from the second pond as well, is that there were no frogs in sight, and there was no peeper song. I did spot a wiggle or two on the surface that may have been newts, but they weren't close enough for me to verify.

So I walked to the ponds, and then I walked back. We'd been having snow flurries off and on, but as I got closer to home, a huge snow squall sprung up. It spat fat white flakes that suddenly turned into a wall of white and reduced visibility to zero. I had my pink umbrella, so I hastily put it up; turned it toward the wind; kept walking; kept taking pictures.

If you are driving, such an experience can turn deadly in an instant. Major roads can be hazardous in these kinds of conditions. Sometimes they feature wrecks, with big pile-ups; and then they close the road. But I was walking, and so I was safe.

Let me explain what you are looking at. To my left is an evergreen by a neighbor's yard. To my right is a red stop sign, a mailbox, and a tree by another neighbor's yard. Ahead of me are trees in another neighbor's woods. Just in front of those trees is the main road, though you can't see it!

In about one minute from this spot, I can be home. I walk straight ahead, turn right a bit, cross the main road, and walk up our driveway. Fortunately, I know where I'm going or I'd be hopelessly lost in the white stuff!

Our soundtrack song is REO Speedwagon, with Find Your Own Way Home.