The ice arrived last night but now at 7:00 PM, it's snowing like crazy. Present accumulations here and around The Pavilion range from 7 inches to a few feet - and counting. The pictures below, illustrate the conditions and concerns. We still may lose power and one of the likely causes has been identified. Earlier while R.H. and I were wading through the snow around the property, we spotted a tree in the back yard, laden with ice and one of it's limbs sagging down onto the electrical line. This tree is notorious for losing limbs all by itself, in perfectly mild conditions, all year around. The limb in question is already cracked at the spot where it connects to the trunk. Every time the wind gusts, the tree emits ominous creaks and groans. Very unnerving. R.H. and I briefly discussed if there might be some way that we could deal with this: cut the limb off, try to prop it up somehow.. or even cut the whole tree down, but any hare-brained idea that came to mind had "Darwin Award" written all over it. That branch isn't just leaning onto the power line, it's actually tangled in it, as seen below. I called PGE to report the problem but understandably, they're already overwhelmed with trying to restore power to the estimated 45,000 + "customers" who are presently without electricity.
Our secondary concern is an old one. The Ponderosa Pine is covered with snow and ice. The way it's looming over the house, with most of its limbs growing on one side, (the west side of the tree) it almost resembles some giant monster from one of those old Godzilla movies. Ponderosa Pines are known for being more bare on the side that faces the prevailing winds. Looking at this one, it's easy to see which side gets blasted every year.
In other storm related news, The Pavilion Scenic Railway Line. Is out of service until further notice. In the photo below, one can see only a small portion of the track that is still partially exposed near the side of the house. At this time, no comments have been issued by PSR engineers or disgruntled passengers.
Miscellaneous pictures:
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