October in New England - Part 1 (Blizzard)

Talk about opposites!  As anyone who lives in New England knows, Autumn weather can be a rollercoaster ride ranging from a balmy, sun-drenched "Indian Summer" day to a full-blown Nor-Easter bringing with it a record-breaking pummeling of snow and ice. 

 

I've spent a good part of the past two Octobers with "M" in Southern New England, and have had the pleasure of enjoying both weather scenarios in "M"s company.  Needless to say, both experiences were extremely memorable and fun, not only thanks to the wacky, yet wonderful world of Mother Nature, but also because I was able to share them with "M".

 

When I arrived at "M"s daughter's home in late October 2011 for a three-day overnight visit, it was a picture-perfect Autumn day.  Actually, the weather had been quite kind up until that point, and many of the trees were still dressed in golden gowns of foliage.  "M"s daughter's home was located on a beautiful piece of property that included many wooded areas, and the surroundings were truly a stunning site to behold.  Serene shades of green, dotted by patches of red, orange, and yellow, made even more striking by areas of gray rock outcroppings.  Absolutely beautiful!

 

It was the weekend before Halloween, which really didn't mean that much to "M" and I, except that the annual changing of the clocks would soon be upon us, and the days would grow darker far too soon.  "M"s daughter was at a conference overseas, and our plan was to spend the magnificent Autumn weekend strolling through the fallen leaves and watching westerns on the VCR player.  ("Lonesome Dove" was all set to go, including the sequel, "Return to Lonesome Dove"!)

 

As I think I mentioned in a previous entry (and if I didn't, please forgive my memory lapse), "M"s family typically did not have cable television hooked up.  Thus, there was no access to the local news and weather, except via computer.  Usually, I did not bring along my laptop for my stays with "M" because I preferred to spend the time just enjoying her companionship.  In hindsight, most of the times I spent with "M" were in the absence of access to current events, which distinguished our visits as very specials moments suspended in an almost timeless bubble.

 

The first two days of the visit (a Thursday and Friday, I believe) were quite pleasant.  The Autumn thus far had been unseasonably warm, which made it difficult to think that Winter would soon be making its presence known.  If you assessed the season by the weather alone, that is.  A stop in any local merchant would clearly state otherwise, as businesses were already decorated with all sorts of holiday paraphernalia.  Excluding polar bears on sleds, alligators with red caps, and a giant Santa Claus and Frosty blow-up display surrounded by palm trees... that would come the following winter in Florida (See previous blog entry for photographic proof!).

 

"M" and I were enjoying our regular routine of late morning tea coupled with conversation about World War II Naval Pilot training, when I noticed that the sky just starting to grow gray.  No big deal.  "M" and I often spent several days housebound in the midst of a rainy patch of weather.  Somewhere during our chat, which generally lasted a good hour and a half or two, covering subjects ranging from WWII to school day snobbery to "What fun!" the birds outside the window seemed to be having, I noticed snow flurries dancing around amid the fun birds.  In fact, the birds seemed to stop having fun, and had disappeared rather ominously, along with the rest of the wildlife, which was quite plentiful in this area of the country.  Even the two kitties had opted to stay inside, much to "M"s delight, as they alternated their time curling up in her warm lap.

 

I hadn't recalled any prediction of snow prior to my visit with "M", but then again, I wasn't really focused on the weather when preparing for these times.  I prefer to stay in the moment as much as possible, and let whatever happens next be an unexpected surprise.

 

Well... What happened next was certainly an unexpected surprise!  "M" and I had our usual lunch (a sandwich, piece of fruit, and glass of milk) at the quaint two-person table adjacent to some windows that looked out on the front lawn.  Halfway through our meal, "M" pointed outside and stated "It looks like Christmas!"  Even though she often didn't know what season it was, her observation was right on the money!  The ground, now covered with at least an inch or two of snow, did indeed look like Christmas.  Except that it was Halloween.  And we hadn't even traveled over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house for Thanksgiving yet!

 

Admittedly, it looked beautiful outside, particularly as the snow began to accumulate on the brightly colored leaves that still clung to life on a number of tree branches.  We decided to retreat to the "Movie Room" and watch a video (by now, I'm sure you can guess what type).  We had nowhere to go anyway, and once we were immersed in our western, "M" and I were in a different world anyway.

 

Just a note about movie time.  It was wonderful, especially at her daughter's home.  The room served as both an office and a sitting area, and was distinguished by a large sleigh bed located right in the middle.  This was where "M" would sit to watch a film, surrounded by many pillows should she need them (which she never did, because she always sat straight upright, trying to maintain "good posture" as her mother had told her to do eighty years ago), and wrapped in a comfy throw blanket.  With three walls of windows, this tended to be the coldest room in the house, although it offered a spectacular view of the scenery outside.

 

By evening, that scenery had turned completely white!  Not a patch of green to be seen!  It would be getting dark soon... time to prepare for dinner, which was always a very enjoyable time with "M".  I am not, and have never claimed to be, a good cook.  This is just one of the many qualities "M" and I have in common.  We would often laugh about our inability to prepare a decent meal for members of our families, sharing stories of the dreadful concoctions we would cook up, and concluding that some people are just not cut out for cooking.  With "M" as my cheerleader, however, I was generally able to whip up a fine dinner that satisfied both of us.  How nice to have a non-judgmental audience!

 

After dinner, "M" and I continued watching our western on the VCR.  Sometimes, we would rewind and repeat the same section as before dinner, both of us already haven forgotten what had happened previously.  I guess my cooking was so incredible that we could not remember anything else!  I would then bring in some ice cream or cookies for dessert, and the evening winded down peacefully.  Soon it was bedtime, a very nice experience for "M" and I, as I gently helped her get into her pajamas while humming a happy tune with her.   "M" always went to bed happy.  It's one of the many things I adore about her.  I've never met anyone that happy when they woke up and when they went to sleep!  To me, it represented the contentment of a day well spent, along with the anticipation of another day to be spent in exactly the same way.  A wonderful way to enjoy life!

 

After bedtime on this particular late October evening, I went to the kitchen to clean up a bit and get the coffee pot ready for the morning.  It was pitch black outside, as there were no lighted roads or other houses within sight, and part of me wanted to keep it that way.  Serene and silent.  The curiosity killed the cat part of me, however, wanted to see just how much snow had accumulated outside the front door.  "M" was still humming in her bed, but I tried to open the door as quietly as possible so as not to disturb her.  Either my muscle tone had diminished dramatically since earlier in the day (which is not surprising when you spend most of the day watching a western mini-series and eating!), or something was blocking the door.  Either way, it was very difficult to push open. 

 

The reason soon became astoundingly clear.  There had to be a good four or five inches of snow out on the front stoop!  I was shocked!  I've lived in New England a good portion of my life, and a"bit of snow" in late October certainly wasn't unusual, but this was much more than a "bit."  It was time to locate the shovel!  And quickly, as the white fluff showed no signs of stopping.  Luckily, the garage, just off the kitchen, had plenty of winter necessities readily available, including a variety of shovels, salt, boots, a flashlight.  And the home was equipped with a generator, which would be an absolute essential in a power outage.  I cleared off the front stoop, then prepared for bed myself, wondering what wonders would await me the next morning.  Actually, I couldn't wonder any longer.  I confess that in spite of the enjoyable absence of technological access to the "outside world" that I often enjoyed in "M"s company, I resorted to my handy-dandy cell phone's news and weather "app" to learn what the heck was going on outside!  There it was!  Right before my eyes, except that I needed my glasses to see the tiny little screen!  Every report carried a similar tagline about a "Monster Nor-Easter Pounding the East Coast!"  I'm not quite sure when the term "Nor-Easter" became all the rage, but in my mind there was only one way to describe what was going on:  Blizzard!

Knowing that "M" and I would be snowed in the next day, warm and comfy watching westerns in the movie room, I went to sleep humming "Walking in a Winter Wonderland." 

In the end, we ended up having about two feet of snow, give or take a couple of inches.  By the next day, the snow began to taper off, but in its wake was a whopping amount of whiteness.  When "M" awoke that morning, I pointed to the wintery scene outside her window.  With pure wonder in her voice, eyes opened widely, all she could say was, "Wow!"  No other words were really needed, as she had aptly summed up the situation.

After breakfast, I got "M" set up for movie viewing, and began the dreaded process of clearing a path to my car, which was now virtually invisible.  I have to admit, the images outside were not only astounding, but absolutely gorgeous.  It amazed me that Mother Nature could change her mind about the weather so dramatically... and quickly. 

When all was said and done, it turned out that the geographic area that "M" and I were in was one of only thirteen percent of the town that did NOT loose power to the giant storm.  We had dodged a bullet that "M" didn't even realize had headed our way.  In her eyes, each day was as beautiful as the one before it... and the one that would follow.   What a wonderful way to view the world!  When "M"s daughter was able to make it back home after being snowed in herself following her return flight from overseas, things had pretty much returned to normal. 

Well... Except for the spectacular pine tree that lay sprawled in the front lawn, a victim of Mother Nature's power.  It has fallen the night before, crackling and snapping before it tumbled.  "M" and I had heard the giant thump, but I just dismissed it so as not to interrupt the movie viewing. 

When "M"s daughter returned home the next day, I had already cleared the two feet of snow off my car, and so I began my own journey home to get ready for a Happy, and weirdly white, Halloween.

My next stop with "M" would be in only three weeks, where I would spend Thanksgiving with the three Senior Sisters in the very warm and much welcome Florida sunshine.