Icemageddon2021

Warning: Long Post

Icemageddon2021 is what Alaskans in the Interior are calling the winter storm that hit us in December. It started with record snowfall, then freezing rain and then more snow. The freezing rain left a 2 1/2" layer of ice on top of the snow. With the layer of ice and so much snow we were snow bound, unable to drive out of our driveway and then more snow came on top of that. We are breaking records for snowfall this winter. The roof collapsed on our local grocery store and one of the gas stations in town on December 26. There isn't another grocery store for 90 miles, in North Pole AK, but the roads were too dangerous to drive on, Condition Red. Many people were in dire straits. We are okay, we normally keep a good supply of food on hand, especially for the winter months. We had to hire a skid-steer to plow us out, the normal plow trucks could not plow the deep snow or break through the ice layer. I have been doing a lot of shoveling on the deck, the roof, stairs and around the house. 

The family that owns the grocery store also own the liquor store and they have begun to stock some basic necessities for the community. People are slowly getting plowed out. And I know we are not the only ones having issues this winter. This is nothing compared to the tornadoes and fires others have experienced.

Skid-steer getting us dug out

My Jeep I drive in the summer is buried!

Our driveway with the snow berm from the plowed snow.

The moose are having a really hard time dealing with the deep snow and ice. They are having trouble getting to their normal food sources and are becoming quite agitated. One cow moose attacked a women in her driveway and left her with a broken leg and a concussion, she is still in the hospital. They are hanging around town in the parking areas. People have been warned to not try to feed them and to stay out of their way. The wildlife biologist do not expect the calves to survive the winter. The wild bison heard in our area is also struggling.

(Not our car)

In some quilting news I have pulled out a project I worked on last year. It is a queen sized quilt for one of my adult grandsons. I have made this pattern before and it goes together pretty quick. I have all the 16 patches  done. I just need to make the star parts. I hope to get all the star parts done this month and get a start on sewing the rows together,

On the applique side of things Block 10, Carolina Rose for Cassandra's Circle BOM is almost finished, just need to do the star in the center.

The next block for Cassandra's Circle is prepped. This is Block 11, Charleston Star. There are 13 blocks in this quilt.

I finished the squirrel block for Ladies's Aid  BOM. I had to make the squirrel block, because we have so many squirrels on our property!

This is the antique block it was taken from.

The next block for the Ladies' Aid BOM is prepped.

And since I am going to need some extra blocks, the BOM pattern has 12.  I am going to try to turn this one into a moose by altering the antlers a bit, or it could be a caribou. I found this block in Barbara Brackman's book "Encyclopedia of Applique".

So I hope all of you are well and surviving your winter! Happy Quilting Rebecca