we're going through our earliest snowfall on record

I only have time for a short post. John picked up the phone a short while ago, and it was from a local county emergency official, telling us that we may have to go to a shelter at any time. And if we have to go, we may have to stay for several days. If you don't find me anywhere online, you'll know why, I may not be able to get to a computer ...

This all started with a snowfall that began three days ago. It was Thursday morning when the snow started. Friday night was a little scary, as the electricity went out. I had intended to have candles or flashlights ready, but had forgotten, and John and I stumbled around in the dark until John found candles and lit them. I didn't like to have lit candles in the house with Michael. No, I'm not talking about our son. Not a human one anyway! Michael is our Maine Coon Cat, and I was afraid he'd knock over a candle and burn himself or the house down. Finally we found places to place the candles where the cat couldn't reach and went to bed. At 2:30 we awoke to blaring lights, noises from my computer, and the TV. It was hours before I was able to fall back to sleep, but I ran and blew out the candles before I did anything else.

By Friday morning we were blessed with six inches of snow. But in Pennsylvania we are not lightweights when it comes to weather, and the roads were plowed in no time, as were the parking lots. Although it was still snowing on and off, John and I made our way down to Wal-Mart and bought three flashlights and eighteen batteries.

Light snow kept up throughout the day. We started out to see a movie, Where The Wild Things Are (okay, I'm still a big kid!), but had to turn around and come right back home, because it was snowing to heavily, and we didn't want to get in a traffic accident.

No, we don't usually have snow in October in Pennsylvania. It starts in November. This was State College's earliest snowfall on record!

This morning I awoke, and there was more flakes coming down, mostly flurries. But enough snow to put a damper on the Homecoming Parade for Penn State University. Folks had come from around the country to see this parade, as their children were in it, students who went to PSU.

As John and I sat in McDonald's this morning after the parade, eating breakfast, we heard a lot of people griping about the cold. I laughed inside, because I had left the house initially this morning without a coat! I hadn't even put on a jacket.

Sure it must have been below freezing when we left the house, or at least freezing, as it was snowing again! But I didn't find it cold today at all. But I did think better of leaving without any coat at all, as I walked away from the house, so I turned back and retrieved a jacket. "No sense getting sick," I thought, "and besides, what would I use to put my cell phone in if I didn't have the pocket?" So I grabbed my jacket and out into the snow I went with John this morning ...

So, getting back to about an hour ago, and the phone call John got from the emergency official -- John was told that there were still "thousands" without power since Friday. Those without electricity have been staying at a local shelter, John was told, and that if power were to go out again, we were to go to the shelter also. He was given the shelter name. John said thank you and hung up the phone.

John and I have spent the last hour packing. I am writing this quick entry in case you don't hear from me for a few days as I don't know if I'll have access to a computer. I also don't know if I'll be staying with family, at a hotel, or at the shelter. It will depend on if I can even get to a family member's house, the street lights will most likely be out, and driving may be rough. I suppose I can wait it out at home, I think I'd rather do that. But John is a little concerned he may catch something at home, as we won't have any heat to stay warm. Our heat is electric ...

I'm hoping that no more power lines are downed due to falling trees ladened with heavy wet snow. I just want to stay home!

Okay, I need to post this, before the electricity goes out. I was attempting to post on Friday night when I lost everything, as I lost electricity ...

love you all, krissy :)