After seeing the exceptional movie La La Land, I strolled to my own La La Land (defined as a fanciful state or dreamworld)-  the Lake. This was the first day where the sun appeared and fully illuminated the beauty which abounds.

This shows just how far the lake level has risen.

Today was definitely a cure for "what ails you".

I was asked to attend this event by the Lake Tahoe News to photograph the speakers. I was happy to since I've been a few times and always leave with a great hope for our planet.

WHAT IS OPERATION SIERRA STORM?
• A Leading National Weather Conference
• A cutting-edge meteorological forum and seminar for network television meteorologist from around that country
• Featuring leading scientists and experts discussing newsworthy topics, trends for today and the future
• A combination of on-going education, networking opportunities and live-broadcasts make OSS an industry leader
While I was there, merely to take photos, I was also interested in what each of today's speakers had to say. Dr. Richard Somerville, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, was the first presenter- the Scientist of Climate Change. His resumé is impressive. He stated many facts in support of the proof of human caused Global Warming. "We have our hand on the thermostat controlling the climate for the future." I thought that was a pretty powerful image.
He also diplomatically shared the fears that many Climate Scientists (or Planetary Physicians as he likes to call himself) have about our President-Elect and his stance on Global Warming. Here's where the HOPE comes in, for me. He also shared a list of things to be optimistic about. I like optimism.


The second speaker was Sen. Kevin de León, California Senate President Pro Tempore, a man who is setting a bold agenda and to combat climate change while building a new, low-carbon economy with opportunities for all Californians. He was definitely the Politician component of this Global Warming Conference. He, too, stressed his fears and said, "The biggest danger to our state is the incoming Head of State". That said, it was pointed out that many States act for the environment independently, and California has lead many with great solutions and through delinking Carbon from the GDP, he states that "Clean energies are out competing Dirty energies on prices without subsidies." At least he made me hopeful since I live in California and California is being AWESOME.
I did mention that I am not a reporter, right? That's Susan Wood's job to make sense of all we heard today.
And this is just a glimpse of what everyone at Operation Sierra Storm is hoping to save.

When I awoke this morning I felt that I was a master at snowblowing (I did it 4 or 5 times yesterday, piece of cake). Every muscle hurt. Did you know that there is a muscle in the valley between your thumb and index finger? There is and mine hurt. But I was ready for the new day of tackling the new snow.

Overnight, we got another dumping of snow, this time a wetter, heavier consistency. In architecture schools they call our special snow Sierra Cement.
There was no way I was going to get our snowblower through it all. I broke down... defeated.

I addition, at 1 AM the City's snowplows finally went by and bermed me in even further.
While I feel I lost my Mountain Woman status (they don't cry), there was some goodness in the day- blue sky, breathtaking scenery and my neighbor Brian.
Awesome Brian is why am so happy sharing this with you. After work, he came armed with his Ferrari of snowblowers and dug me out. Now, I can handle whatever comes next, I say gleefully before tonight's storm.
As of this morning, the 24 hour snowfall totals had the ski resorts reporting 3-4+ feet, and there was 2-3 feet at lake level (where we live). January has totals of 100-200 inches already and it's only Day #11! And it's not over yet. It promises to be cold and snowy tomorrow as one storm exits and another moves through.  We could see an additional 5-10 inches at lake level and 10-15 inches on the mountains by Thursday evening.

While I am finding our weather exhilarating and at times, challenging, I think I've shared enough of this particular storm. Tomorrow, I'm going to go out in it all for more than just removing snow.
My girlfriend, Mary Jo, went out in it all and was rewarded with this amazing photo of Lake Tahoe with icebergs. What a spectacular place!

Just when I think it's as exciting as it can be, the City of South Lake Tahoe issues a "blizzard warning".

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “a Blizzard Warning has been issued for the Sierra through Wednesday morning. Dangerous and potentially life threatening blizzard conditions are possible in the Sierra Mountains. Multiple feet of snowfall are expected. Strong winds will produce zero visibility in whiteout conditions along with high drifting snow. Do not attempt to travel as first responders may not be able to rescue you. Travel may already be impossible with several road closures due to heavy snow already being reported. Even a short walk could be deadly if you become disoriented. Avalanche danger will remain high through this storm. Stay home, stay safe!”

I wish the images could capture the craziness and the beauty better. Sitting in the comfort of our cabin, I feel like I'm on the outside looking into a really wacky snow globe.

This is my real first active snowblowing. The effort won't last but at least I know I can do it. The City has said, "Residents are advised to stay off the roadways if at all possible throughout today and tomorrow. Let’s be prepared, #StayHomeStaySafe during the storm." I will listen.
As for the snowfall amounts, in total from today through Thursday we could see 15-45 inches at lake level, and 2-5 feet on the mountains.  I know we have surpassed 15 inches here already today.
This is the mound of snow on our back deck. Wild stuff here in the mountains.
I'm still smiling. I'm still loving Tahoe. And I feel very safe. There really is an excitement in weather. Steve and I have been waiting for an event like this, since moving here. The only thing that would make today better is if he were here, too. Tomorrow, if safe, I will try to get to the Lake. It must be stunning today all blanketed in white.

What an excellent question especially since I've been in exile due to the COLD (illness and weather). The one thing I don't do is get bored. I don't think I've been bored since I was 10 years old. So here's just a small sampling of a day in the life.

1. I shovel. I have to keep up with the snow and when it got too much, I had to pay a nice guy driving by to plow it.
2. I organize. This is my Rubber Stamp Collection. I went through 140+ stamps and organized them by genre. This is what happens when one has way too much time on one's hands!
3. I transfer. I put all my important dates into my 2017/2018 Calendar. This may not seem like a huge deal but I celebrate A LOT. It takes quite a bit of time and it has to be done.

4. I read. Since Tuesday evening, I have completed three very diverse books and I'm half way through my fourth.
This is the first I've read by this prolific author. The Boston Globe said about her, "Elizabeth Berg's gift as a storyteller lies most profoundly in her ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, the remarkable in the everyday." This wasn't my favorite book of the four because the theme of divorce was rather depressing, but I will give Ms. Berg another shot. 
I loved this book even thought I have to admit I have never read Jane Austen. It doesn't matter. This is such a great depiction of life in the 18th century England.
This is the second book I've read by Josh Bazell. What a hoot. It certainly has a little bit of everything in it: intrigue, romance, murders, the Mafia and lake monsters. What more could someone want in a novel?
This non-fiction tome is totally engrossing. Donna Seaman's review will help you understand my love of this book, "Author Simon Garfield champions the infinitely expressive and influential tradition of letter writing. For centuries, Garfield observes, letters have been “the lubricant of human interaction and the free fall of ideas,” and he presents many provocative examples, from letters written by the Romans in Britain two thousand years ago, establishing the conventions of “greetings and farewells,” to the correspondence of Cicero, Madame de Sévigné, Virginia Woolf, and Jack Kerouac. Garfield covers the evolution of various postal services, tells curious tales about how letters end up in auction houses and libraries, contrasts letters and e-mails (a “hybrid between a letter and a phone call”), and ponders the challenges of maintaining digital archives. Threaded throughout is a suspenseful British WWII epistolary love story... Garfield’s robust and propulsive engagement with letters as an essential embodiment of the human spirit and a driving cultural force makes for exciting reading and thoughtful speculation about the future of scholarship and communication." This book is so up my alley.
5. I baked. This isn't a continuous thing but my new motto is, "When life gives you disgustingly ripe bananas, make Banana Nut Bread."
6. I embrace. I find the weather exhilarating. I look outside, from the comfort of in front of my fireplace, and delight in it all. While I'm bummed Steve is in Southern California on business missing the fun, I'm staying out of trouble (for the most part) and remembering why we moved to the Sierras in the first place. I ♥ Tahoe unconditionally! 

Wanting to play before the City's recommended #StayHomeStaySafe exile tomorrow, my friend, Karen, braved my dissipating cold cooties and spent the day with me doing super fun stuff: shopping, lunch out, and a fantastic movie- Hidden Figures.

Three brilliant African-American women at NASA -- Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) -- serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world.

This description does little to depict how amazing this film was including the wonderful acting, tough historical depictions of 1961 Virginia, can-do spirit of these women and the entire thrill of the Space Race. It was exceptionally timely for me since Steve and I had recently been to the Kennedy Space Center and were in the company of many of the astronauts depicted in the film (sadly not John Glenn, however).

If you want to know how much of this "based on the untold true story" is really true, I found this article to be pretty informative, complete with an interview with Katherine G. Johnson. Wow. I don't recommend reading the article before seeing the movie, however. Big time spoilers. If your day is as gloomy as mine, this might be something for you to do! Bring tissues.

Okay, I'm totally excited by the upcoming weather events. I have a house full of books, enough coffee to sustain me indefinitely, a roaring fire, good friends to come to my rescue and all the other supplies one might need. And I have found "winter" humor, which I absolutely love.

The final image isn't accurate for me since I'm kind of a winter badass for a native SoCal gal (if I say so myself) but it made me laugh. And isn't that more fun than crying? Bring it on Old Man Winter!

When I read that subject line, in an email from the City of South Lake Tahoe, I thought it was some kind of Winter Festival. Not!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a major Atmospheric River to hit the region this weekend starting on Sunday, January 8th and continuing through Monday, January 9th with widespread flooding expected. NOAA is also forecasting another Atmospheric River arriving in the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 10th-11th. NOAA is stating that this event could be similar or greater than the floods of 1997 and 2005 which greatly impacted South Lake Tahoe.

An Atmospheric River is a conveyor belt of vapor that extends thousands of miles from out at sea, carrying as much water as 15 Mississippi Rivers. Each storm can dump inches of rain or feet of snow. NOAA is predicting 6”-8” of rain falling in the Tahoe Basin between Sunday and Monday; if these predictions hold, residents and visitors of South Lake Tahoe need to be prepared.

On Friday, January 6th, we encourage residents to get prepared by doing the following:
• Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate: If you don’t have somewhere you have to be, #StayHomeStaySafe.
• Get sand bags. Sand bags are available at the City yard.
• Clear storm drains. There are 1,874 storm drains in the city. City crews will be out clearing to clear high priority drains in expected flood areas. Residents can also help by clearing any storm drains in front of their home. Use a shovel or pick to break ice and snow away from storm drains so that water can enter the drains.
• Prepare for utility outage. Gather flashlights and replace batteries.
• Keep roofs cleared. Snow with high water content is heavy. When it’s followed up by torrential rain, existing snow on your roof will become heavier. Spend Friday and Saturday clearing as much snow off your residential structures before the next storm arrives.
• Expect berms. Heavy snow is more difficult to plow and often results in berms in driveways and at street intersections.
• Stock up on supplies. People using oxygen tanks need to have battery back-up power on hand. Residents should store up on food, water, batteries, pet food.
• Don’t drive through water that is too deep. If flooding occurs, don’t drive through it.
• Stay informed. Tune into TV, radio stations, and/or social media for storm updates.
• Get the word out. Advise neighbors, friends and family of expected flooding and to plan and prepare.
• Emergency Operations. In anticipation of flooding and severe weather, the City has already contacted American Red Cross and prepared its Emergency Operations Teams to be on call and ready to open evacuation centers as needed. Stay up to date with emergency and weather information with the City’s social media accounts. Recreation Center staff are currently working with the Red Cross to have emergency shelter established for residents displaced during the storm. We urge everyone to be prepared. NOAA states this Atmospheric River is one of the largest they’ve seen in many years. Let’s be prepared. Let the excitement begin!

Lake Tahoe is making the news due to our big snowfall. I thought you'd like to see the view from my porch, for most of the day!

I'm home with a cold so I won't get to play in all the whiteness but hot tea and this view will sustain me.

For my AAUW writing group, Talking on Paper, I thought I would sum up our Road Trip for those who don't follow the blog. Enjoy the summation!

For 94 days, Steve and I menadered across our vast Country, traversing 22 states and hundreds of small towns. Looking back, it's difficult to fully explain just how extraordinary this Road Trip was. I have found only one quote that fully captures my sentiment about traveling the open roads which was written by Victoria Erickson:

So I'll share with you a brief recap of our story, month by month.

We departed a few days after our younger son's wedding in our backyard. We hopped on Highway 50, deemed "The Loneliest Highway". While the towns were certainly few and far between, the unique terrain and quaintness of each city we stopped in, was worth the drive. Our first evening was camping in Eureka, NV. What made it special was our campsite was at a pioneer cemetery, a wonderful place to discover a town's history.

September's travels found us at the National Parks of Arches, Mesa Grande and the Great Sand Dunes. It had us exploring old forts, four different states, seeing zebras in a field, and we even "Got out of Dodge" (Dodge City, Kansas that is). We went to the birthplace of Elvis, learned of the legacy of Jimmy Carter, were entertained by the hysterical author, Carl Hiassen, explored historical cemeteries in Savannah and we played at East Coast beaches a few times. Our first month on the road ended with an unforgettable Barn Jam and a beyond amazing Big Fake Wedding. Knowing we would never get to a southern wedding in a 300 year old Charlestonian home, we jumped at this timely opportunity. 'Diverse' is probably the best adjective for the month of September.

October had us learning about monks and attending Peanut and Italian Festivals. We even donned lederhosen for an Oktoberfest in the darling town of Hickory, NC while escaping the wrath of Hurricane Matthew. We explored nature preserves and Civil War battle sites, most impressively Gettysburg. Steve got to bond with other NASCAR fans as we attended two events at Charlotte Speedway. We connected with my big brother in Virginia where we volunteered for his wife's annual charity rummage sale. We worked hard for three days and were rewarded with some great finds. While there, we house sat for him while they spent their 70th birthdays in Venice. My brother has a farmette, five acres of gentleman farming complete with eight chickens, two bunnies, one cat and three Jack Russell terriers. We had our work cut out for us. Since their large home was relatively empty while they were gone, we had some Tahoe friends stay with us which was the catalyst for traveling to Washington DC and beyond for explorations. We delighted in discovering, together, all the region had to offer. This included attending a very special garden party in a Georgetown estate celebrating its bicentennial, getting our library card from the Library of Congress, touring the Capitol Building and the White House and just being in the DC area during election time, which had an electricity that is impossible to explain but certainly made the trip uniquely memorable.

November's beginning was at Disney World, the "Second Happiest Place on Earth". Here we met with Florida and Tahoe friends for four days of exhaustive fun. I love all things Disney so this certainly was one of the highlights of our Road Trip for me. After being a kid again, we recuperated at my last remaining aunt's home. Four generations live together there, so we were able to get quality family time in before heading to Port Canaveral and an unbelievable visit to the Kennedy Space Center. I am the queen of googling "what to do" prior to arriving at a destination. I found that a new exhibit was opening and we planned our visit accordingly. The "Heroes & Legends" ribbon cutting was attended by 24 Hall of Fame Astronauts and we were in their presence (including Buzz Aldrin and Jim Lovell). It was beyond amazing and certainly a once-in-a-lifetime event for us.

Port Canaveral was also the jumping off point for our eight day cruise to the Southern Caribbean. Curaçao, Aruba and Grand Turk allowed us to become Island Steve & Denise where we frolicked at breathtaking beaches, explored the unique local history and just enjoyed being somewhere so new to both of us.

Beignets, Hurricanes (the famous Pat O'Brien's libations) and historical sites were enjoyed in New Orleans, as we began our trek West and ultimately home. Bayou back roads through small towns, allowed us to see a different, wonderful South. Driving 431 miles of Interstate 10 opened our eyes to exceptional sights. It delivered us to San Antonio so we could "remember the Alamo". It took us to Tucson so we could learn about the Titan Missile Project. It even allowed us to discover, after miles and miles of advertising billboards, The Thing? And lastly I-10 led us to the Yuma Territorial Prison for a very interesting history lesson.

Once we crossed the Colorado River and we were in Southern California, we were very aware that the trip was coming to an end. The last few days were spent connecting with as many family and friends as possible as we made our way North. In our old hometown of Temecula, we were able to attend a Sister City Dinner along with numerous local friends and even several from Japan. They say timing is everything and this certainly was a common theme through the 9,557 miles.

We spent our final days with our sons and their gals, sharing the stories of our adventures and learning of the ones they had made in our absence.

Ours was a voyage of discovery. While we covered so much distance rather quickly, we did absorb the spirit of each place and took away many great stories, needing to be told. I eagerly await being asked to go on another Road Trip. My human wings are rested and ready.

The New Year is starting with a weather forecast that has the skiers in the family extremely excited. According to Open Snow, "The updated snowfall forecast for Wednesday through Friday will have totals, above 8000 feet, up to 44 inches over the next 6 days." Oh man, this is going to an exciting week.

Mon

27°

20°

Tue

35°

28°

Wed

39°

28°

Thu

38°

25°

Fri

36°

25°

Sat

40°

33°

Sun

40°

25°