Snow

It snowed here yesterday. All of school kids were home before 1:00 p.m. It did not snow much but it did snow just enough to require some sidewalk and driveway shoveling to make sure they do not ice. It snowed a little more during the night. I know that the above picture does will make my friends in the west think that the snow here is nothing at all. We still think that but I guess we have to remember that snow removal is not a big item when local and state budgets are prepared. There is little to none in the line of snow removal equipment here. They do salt the roads when there is indication of ice. This happens especially when there is freezing fog.

Lamp Post through the fog.

Anyway, we know that it could snow more here but this is the most we have had here in the two years we have been here. The two photos I have posted were taken about 11:00 a.m. today. It is now 1:15 p.m. The temperature is approaching the high 40's, the wind is blowing and the snow is rapidly melting. The big problem is that it is supposed to be much colder this evening and tomorrow. I sure hope the huge puddles left by the melting snow will have drained away before that or there surely will be an icy mess.

Our Inaugural Trip

On November 2, two days before the election, we got a call from our daughter and son-in-law saying that we were going to the Inauguration. They were very confident about the outcome. They had it all figured out how we were all going to embark on this journey. It included getting a wheelchair for me so they and Bill could make good progress. I would hold the (yet unborn) baby so a stroller would not be required. That was before it became evident that the swell of humanity attending would make those plans unfeasible. We also were unsuccessful in attaining tickets to the event. Geoff did receive an official commemorative invitation to the event. Although we were not going to the actual event we wanted to be in the area anyway so we went to Arlington last Saturday.

Besides wanting to be close to the action, this gave us an opportunity to get in some good grandparents' time hugging our grandson. While Erica and Geoff headed off to a Clinton/Gore alumni function Bill and I got to sit with precious baby boy.

On Monday Bill and I drove to the Manassas Battlefield. This was our first visit to the site. It is a beautiful spot but also a sobering monument. Being there at the site of the first battle of the Civil War seemed to be the right place to be on January 19, 2009. It is difficult for me to articulate my feelings here but when we got back to Arlington and looked at the photos I had taken I was taken aback by the image below. I had been snapping a photo of just the Stonewall Jackson statue or at least that is what I thought. I did not realize that anyone else was there. The gentleman also taking a picture somehow seems so symbolic of the day. Perhaps we have reached a point where we will (to paraphrase Dr. King) "…no longer be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character."

I awoke very early on Inauguration Day. Geoff had decided he was going to the ceremony and would catch the Metro at 4:00 a.m. I heard him upstairs and knew he left around 3:45 a.m. I worried about him because it has been so cold and it was still at least seven hours before the ceremony would start. I got even more concerned after I turned on the TV to see that some Metro stations had very long lines that early in the morning. I continued to watch the news shows and was glad I was not among the throngs. It was very cold and there was no place to sit. Then, once the ceremonies began and the sea of people and flags were shown I was regretful. I got chills as President spoke and there were images of people my age and older with tears running down their faces. A barrier once thought impenetrable had been moved aside.

Geoff got home in the late afternoon cold, tired, sore and completely excited because he had been there. That enthusiasm that exists in spite of the incredible obstacles we are facing today gives me every reason to hope and that there will be a better day.

Enjoying the Morning

I haven't posted much about our grandson. I really have been trying to keep our "beaming" to a minimum. But, I do have to say, "He is a keeper!" His parents are doing well and seem to be adjusting to "Jacob's world" quite nicely. This is the photo Erica emailed today.

We get to see him this weekend for the first time since he was about 10 days old. Yep, we are looking forward to it!

911 Center

The program for last night's Milton Lions Club meeting was a road trip. Following dinner we drove to the nearby town of Georgetown where we were given a tour of the new 911 Center. I was not sure what to expect except that it was not what we saw. This center is the 911 Center for the entire county and is certified for excellence. Perhaps the easiest way to describe it would be a "high tech modern day civil defense command center."

This center is what I would imagine a large city to have even if it is probably smaller. I know that a whole lot of what this center is is because of the emphasis of Homeland Security. However, I like to think that it has more to do with "good old common sense'" with common sense solutions -- maximize efforts with sometimes the minimum of resources. The design of the place makes it difficult for turf wars to get in the way of solutions to the problem(s) at hand.

While I was impressed with the functionality and purpose of the center, I was blown away with the technology. It made me think of what I believe the most technical of "situation room" should be. Dispatch stations were equipped with at least six monitors, two or three keyboards and the stations were electronically adjustable to fit the operator and to allow the operator to change positions during a shift. There are several of these stations and then there is in the same room a giant monitor capable of bringing six channels at the same time. All of this was like a "Bond" movie.

It was reassuring to find out about this center. If you have the opportunity, you should visit your local center. You will appreciate more what is done there.

As an aside, I could not find a good link for the center but will update when I do.

Spokane Snow

On several occasions while I have been writing this blog I mentioned snow in the Pacific Northwest. I cited the beauty of it, the frustration of it, the normality of it, almost always with a longing to be back in it. That has changed this year!! First, let me say, at my best I have never been sure-of-foot in the snow. Yes, I know there are many snickering and saying, "That's an UNDERSTATEMENT if there ever was one!" But, I always managed to somehow get around through the annual deluge. The snowfall in Spokane this season has convinced that too much is too much!! A fork lift on trax is probably only way I could navigate about this year. I am glad to be living away from it and will probably keep my visits to the warmer less difficult to maneuver about in months, like May through October.

Welcome 2009

The sun set on 2008 late yesterday afternoon. What a year of extremes it was. We all had our own "highs and lows." We each know what they were and should probably keep it at that and move on to this new year with eyes forward, heads held high, warm hearts and open arms. Let's do this while not forgetting the difficult lessons of the past year. This is my prayer.

It is said that "Hope springs eternal." My hope was surely refreshed in late 2008 with the birth of our grandson. So, it is with hope for the future, a better future, that I say "Welcome 2009."