Oh, What a Night

Last night was one for the books. Becky got out of work late, but we had to get groceries for two families, so off we went into the wilds of what was supposed to be rain and flurries.

Flurries my foot. Our instinctive inclination to prepare for bad was spot on...a lot more accurate than the weather forecast. A torrential downpour collided with 30 to 31 degree temperatures and Friday evening rush hour to produce a travel nightmare.

Worse still our boy and my brother and his son were all on the road home from their week of work in Connecticut. Many hours and many miles over very bad roads.

Even walking across the parking lot at Wally World was fraught with peril, as the half-frozen slush built up on every surface and melted just enough to get slipperier. It was worse on the roads.

Huge sigh of relief to get home last night and an even bigger one when we received notice that everyone else was home safe as well.

Today it is nearly 40 with a vigorous west wind and dripping but not actively raining. I wonder what the storm blew in by way of birds. I can hear chipping on the feeders already even though it is still pretty dark. All week there have been cute little Buffleheads on the river....they remind me of bathtub toys....and lots of good winter birds on the feeder. However, I am hoping for that Ruddy Duck, maybe a Pied-billed Grebe....or some Evening Grosbeaks would be nice.

Might as well dream, right?

Update, we went up to Herkimer County looking for some Cattle Egrets seen there two days ago. Missed them but got an utterly unexpected Golden Eagle so that was good.

Photos taken before the storm except for the crows