Winter Weather III

This weekend, all of the predictions of snow here in Atlantic Beach proved to be accurate.  According to Facebook posts, at least 15 inches of snow accumulated, blowing all day in wild gusts of wind as high as 50 mph, and obscuring the view of the ocean from the condo.  There were credible reports of four- to six-foot "drifts,” which to my amusement the local weatherman had to define for coastal residents who had likely never seen more than a two- or three-inch snow in their lives.  I wondered idly this morning if the young “prophetesses” I wrote about yesterday had predicted this snow?  Or knew what a drift was?  

We awoke to the deepest snow we have seen here, piled perhaps eight inches on our outside table on the balcony, but with knee-high or even waist-high drifts out below the building where I did not venture.  I managed to make my way down the outside stairs yesterday – the elevators were not operational – and into the small exercise room on the ground floor, where I worked out on the elliptical machine and managed to do a set of squats and curls and 100 pushups.  My muscles are still sore today!  But I did not venture down there today, opting to do my Tai Chi here in the condo. 

I had ambitiously signed up for a race on Saturday – the Cocoa 5-K – which (assuming it will not be cancelled because of snowy roads) I have decided would not be a good idea.  I know, I know.  Highlands Roadrunner is notoriously (NRH) Not Right in the Head, but even for me it would be foolish to run a race on such little training.  Is started off promisingly enough - that's why we come here during the winter, after all, to be able to hike and run - with a hike at Fort Macon and three-mile runs on Wednesday and Friday.  But I have not run a step in nine days due to the weather, not just because of the snow, but because of the brutal cold and wind chill, which this morning was five below zero. 

So we spent this Sunday morning listening to our Pastor, Randy Lucas, on Facebook, broadcasting from his home on Cherokee Drive - guitar in hand, fireplace in background.  Another excellent sermon on the Beatitudes.  Martha baked biscuits and made a delicious omelet.  We checked on friends back in Highlands, and they checked on us here, having learned from the news that we received more snow than many of they did.  We are thankful that the power is still on, and we are warm and well-provisioned.  I think we will enjoy being snowbound for the day!  We have plenty of books.  And it may be time for a game of Scrabble!