Safely back home, I'm sure you're relieved to hear. And thankfully we've got one of the above - the best invention in the world! My aunt (who lives on a farm) gave it to us as a wedding present because she couldn't get through married life without one. It's true!
And with that I'm off to bed with the electricity still running. Will I be able to make cappuccinos for Hannah and watch kitten videos with Pete in the morning? We shall see...
Friday, 9.22pm
Snelfie!
When your snow blower gets snowed in you know you're in trouble.
Friday, 9.15pm
It's actually quite a challenge to wander about in foot-deep snow. Well, I say it's a foot - Hannah reckons it's closer to six inches.
We had pizza for dinner tonight. Deep pan, crisp and even.
It looks like most people heeded the warnings and have been sensible enough to stay inside. Except me, of course.
And this guy, but then if I had a car that looked like this I'd drive it everywhere all the time.
Friday, 8.57pm
After putting the snow-crazed, utterly hyped up toddler to bed and making sure my bloodstream contained the requisite level of brandy flavoured antifreeze I decided, like Scott, Amundsen and Shackleton before me, to step outside into the antarctic maelstrom to see what was happening.
It was snowing, surprisingly, and the wind was beginning to whip up. I wandered the empty streets with nary a dog walker in sight but it was nice to see that the local rescue station was abuzz with firefighters shoveling. I imagine they should have a quiet night given the complete icy impassibility of the roads, although there's probably some driver who decides that KFC is exactly what he needs at 3am. At least I'm close enough to walk there.
It's all going a bit Narnia out here.
Mr Tumnus! With a snowblower! That would have annoyed the White Witch.
Friday, 6.17pm
Time for a cold one.
Friday 5.23pm
Finding out that the slide is even more impressive when it's covered in ice.
Friday 5.12pm
Angelic.
Friday 4.57pm
Picking up passengers. I should charge.
Friday 4.51pm
Knowing how a husky feels.
Friday, 4.43pm
Time to drag a crazy child outside.
An inch an hour, they're saying at the moment. That's the rate of accumulation and the average speed of cars driving out of DC.
Friday, 3.32pm
Safely returned from Safeway.
Things are getting very white very quick...
Friday 3.06pm
In Safeway. With lots of other people.
In the USA, when disaster strikes, people buy bread. In the UK we just tend to make a cup of tea.
A few more essentials.
Friday, 2.43pm
First snowplough spotted (on our way to Safeway for last minute supplies). Perhaps everything will be alright!
Friday, 2.15pm
The webcam on the top of the Washington Monument:
Watch live at WAMOCam.com.
Friday, 1.22pm
The flakes have started to descend! An iron grey sky sits above us, darkness descends, etc. Time for a nip of something to keep warm.
Snowflakes. Look carefully.
First attempts at catching them on the tongue.
Friday, 12.44pm
Hannah's office shut at 11am. Pete's school shut at 12.30pm. One of them is happier about this situation than the other.
Friday, 12.30pm
Live blogging of this historic event has begun! Expect up-to-the minute, informative posts as the situation develops. Until the power goes off.
