I Believe There's a Storm A-Brewin'

Mid-day during the day today, while I was happily chatting with my mom in her living room, the sky just opened up. Great big fluffy white tufts of winter started hurling themselves from the sky toward the ground. Then, just as quickly as they started, they had formed little armies, quickly taking the driveway, surrounding my car and blanketing the street. We were being infiltrated by one of Northeast Ohio's most insidious foes, snowflakes.

The thing about snow that makes it so sinister is its stealth. I'm pretty sure this is the only weather event around these parts that shows up so quickly and without warning (except, of course, for tornadoes). Maybe it's just more difficult to see since the skies are generally a drab gray color every day this time of year, making distinguishing the color of an impending snowfall that much more difficult. Most ninja-like of all though, is lake effect snow, which only a few locations in the world even have to experience. One minute it can be just chilly and drab and the next~ well, sometimes it's so dense it's hard to see the fingers on your own hands.

Tonight is supposed to be a mixed bag for our area, with accumulations ranging from an inch to 9 inches by the time it's all said and done. Such variety and range! Those crazy, talented snowflakes just can't seem to decide which neighborhoods they like the best this year.

While they are welcome to visit, I hope they don't stay long. I'm ready for this winter white to be replaced with the lush greens of springtime. Here's to hoping the invading troops are just as soon pushed out by the return of our ally, the sun.

Until then, stock up on blankets and books, start some stew and bake some bread, just in case you get snowed in, to warm you inside and out.