Post Snowmaggedon

Well the snow has finally stopped and the snow removal equipment is in full force! I have to say they are doing a fabulous job. The heavy duty equipment from New York is really helping. I made it home last night and I don't think I have ever been so happy to go home! I am planning to get some scrapbooking done this weekend and my pics from the last two storms are waiting for me at the store. Maybe I'll stop on the way home and treat myself to some snow-related products? Pics to follow!

Snowmaggedon 2010

So for my first post I can find nothing more appropriate talk about than the snow. And for any readers who happen by my new blog, and haven't seen the national weather in the last few days, the DC area is getting PUMMELED. Yes, I am "based" in Gettysburg, and even though it seems to many we are really far from DC, we're not. So we get basically the same weather, including ALL THIS SNOW. What that means is snowstorm #1 in December - 2 feet; snowstorm #2 Feb 5 - 2.5 feet & blizzard conditions; snowstorm #3 Feb 9 - 1.5 to 2 feet and blizzard conditions for several hours.

Now having grown up in Maryland, just outside of DC, and being that I work for the county government, I am a little more than vaguely familiar with how the government operates...or doesn't. Now I am not busting on the plow drivers at all, they are doing the best they can with what they've got. It's the lack of planning for situations like these that are so rare. I know planning is a challenge for any agency or company, but since we have been in the throws of blizzard-like weather before, yo u might think they would be more prepared for this. NOT!

Now I will clarify...Montgomery County is all about development, being number one, being ahead of the rest. So they develop and encourage more businesses and approve more housing construction, all of which adds to the population and requires more roads. But considering the road system was difficult before the development, what little is added to it does not nearly make up for the increase in resident and transient population. So we have all these roads, over 4,100 miles worth, in a count ranked (last I knew) in the top ten richest in the country, but residents get snowed in and lose power for days at a time. Some have been without power for 5 or more days.

Now in contrast, take my beautiful little country town with only 22,000 people, and much less of a budget. Until this week's snow storm the schools have not been closed for snow. Yes, we got 2 feet the last two storms and yes, my kids went to school. A couple of delayed-openings and early closings, but not closed for the day. And how is that possible you ask? Well my humble opinion is that they have not overdeveloped. There are not too many residents or transient population (even with tourism) to handle the road system, and the plows can get through and do their job. The true challenge we usually face is getting out of our own 200ft+ driveway. After a few bumps during our first couple of years there, we got a snowblower and now it's a piece of cake, more or less. My husband does it all (he's great that way) and managed to clear the first 2 .5 feet of snow in 3.5 hours. Not bad. And since the road in front of our house was already clear, we were FREE! Oh and did I mention we never lost power, not once, not even for a minute.

So the moral to this story is, bigger isn't necessarily better. I'll take my country home and my 45 minute commute thank you very much.