A few weeks ago several of us chuckled when our friend Ivan showed up wearing what appeared to be tire chains under his boots. Turned out that Ivan was the Harbor fashion trendsetter. By Thursday, no well-dressed Harbor walkabouter was without these little slip over your boot gems. Even low slung, wide bodied, four big furry pawed Abby, found herself tumbling down the front stoop and sliding onto her belly while attempting to scramble across the icy road. Of course the thunder, lightning and at times heavy rain of Thursday simply added to the chagrin of those of us who think of Harbor February as snow time.
Few sights are as surreal as lightning flashes being reflecting off the snowscape.
Ears, winter soft tuned to the sweet sounds of wind working through tall pines and the muffled murmur of the lake moving against the icy shore, were jolted into mid-summer acrimony as camp shaking cracks of lightning induced sound suddenly intruded and then rumbled into oblivion among the low hanging clouds. I ventured to the window to observe this unwelcomed phenomena, while the brave wonderdog scooted to her below bed sanctuary. And then Friday, when the long dormant lake effect snow machine finally got its act together and with the aid of gale force northwesterlies, pounded us with blinding snow, snow so fine in texture that it seemed to never drop. I had the sensation of being in a river of snow. It seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere else, almost taunting us as it sped quickly by.