Snowy days in Cobb County, Georgia

During the bad winter storm two weeks ago in Metro Atlanta on January 28 and 29, 2014 (see my last post here,) we did not drive, but we walked.  I brought my cameras and took some pictures along the way.  About 3 houses up on the other side of our street are a couple of old barns.  Then on our side of the street, about 2 houses up, is a large red house with white columns - we do not know who lives there.  Actually we hardly know any neighbors (even though we have lived here since 1976) as the houses are not very close to each other.  (Click on photos and collages twice to enlarge.)

Adjacent to our house is a large piece of land with a lake.  There are four houses around the lake, I think.  When we moved to our house years ago there was one house only - a teenager there used to babysit our daughters from time to time.  We had to drive her back to her house on the far side of the lake.  We can see the lake from our house in winter when there are no shrubs or leaves on the trees.  On that stormy morning I came behind my cat Mitsuko to take some pictures from our kitchen window.  There is a screen outside the window so the photos are not clear.  Mitsuko did not want to move as she was looking intently at birds.  You can see part of the lake behind our barn in the center picture below.

We walked to the lake.  It is especially pretty in winter when there is snow.  Some ice was floating on the surface of the lake.

We walked along the side of the lake toward several ducks.  We observed them for quite a while - they did not pay any attention to us.

Across the lake we could see someone shoveling snow off a driveway with a dog nearby.  The dog started to run along the lake and came to greet us.  He was very friendly and walked with us until he started to dig, near the lake, and found a bone that he must have hid there long ago.  Then he trotted back to his home with his bone, tightly held between his teeth (bottom left picture below.)

We turned around and slowly came back.  It was sunny but still below freezing.

It was beautiful and peaceful there.  We saw a Bluebird fly away - I tried to take its picture - I did, and you can see him below.  We walked home from the back of our barn.

While we were at the lake we saw a car parked - I think it was a Jeep.  Later, as we walked away, the driver stopped to introduce himself and told us that he and his family had been neighbors for the last seven years.  We exchanged email addresses.  Later when he returned with his wife, who had been stranded in her car, he stopped and introduced her.  So now we know one set of neighbors, and that is nice.

Once back at home I thought I saw a Bluebird by the driveway, but it was a Blue Jay.  He was pretty anyway.

This past winter storm, named Leon, has been terrible for many people, but I was pleased to see snow again.  On Saturday February 1st, we drove to the little lake by the Senior Center to see if there was some snow left, but there was not.  By then it had melted.  The lake still had some ice on its surface though.

I thought that now we would have to wait another three years or more to see snow again.  Wrong!  Last Tuesday, February 11th, 2014, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed advised residents of the Metro Atlanta area to stay home.  I watched TV and news on my computer - another storm was coming named Pax.  People were rushing to stores to buy supplies - snow shovels were in high demand (we do not possess one.)  This time the Mayor was being pro-active and trucks were ready.

Metro Atlanta area people stayed home through yesterday, Thursday February 13th, although the roads re-iced during the night.  Roads were deserted apart from road workers, gravel and sand trucks, police and power workers since thousands lost electric power because of down lines and trees.  Georgia Power Company reported that yesterday 236,000 customers in Georgia were without power, mostly in the Atlanta and Augusta areas.  A reporter standing on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta was showing that people had heard the warning - there was no one in sight (blue jacket below.)

On Wednesday, February 12th, 2014, it alternated between rain, snow and ice.  I was very surprised yesterday morning, Thursday, when I looked outside our kitchen window - the scenery was like a fantasy-land - white all over.  I could just make out the bright red color of a Cardinal across the window.  I took its picture several times but, as I said earlier, with the screen on the window photos do not come out too well.  I tried to take a picture of the yard, so pretty under the snow, but my camera focused on the screen as you can see below - but you can guess at the view ...

I thought I would make coffee and have breakfast then go out for a walk and take more pictures.  That was a mistake, because within two hours the sun was shining and the snow had already fallen from the branches.  I started by taking a picture of our barn - it looked like a Christmas card.  I took it with my little Canon Power Shot which I have not used in months.

I took more pictures of the front and back yard.

The snow covered branches on our fig tree made attractive designs.

We then repeated our stroll of two weeks ago by walking along the road to the farm nearby.  The snow looked different, softer.

There was a thick layer of ice under the snow.

The lake looked as pretty as always

and the colors seemed more glowing.

Back at home, since we could not drive to the store, I made a vegetable stew with what I had on hand and it turned out very tasty (I'll give the recipe next week.)  It stayed very quiet outdoors, apart from the chirping of the birds.