Boston is preparing for a blizzard. As someone who grew up in North Carolina and settled in DC for the last five years, I haven’t ever been through a blizzard. I’ve read about them (Little House on the Prairie, anyone?), saw pictures on TV, and heard stories of snow drifts “up to the tops of the telephone poles” from family members – but I’ve never lived through one.

Here in Boston, we’re hearing a lot about the “Blizzard of 2015.” An historic event. It’s being compared to the “Blizzard of ’78,” which, according to all accounts here, was quite a mess. (Look at the images on the link – pretty amazing!) And it’s going to be conditions like this until Wednesday!

The governor just had a press conference – cars are not allowed on the road after midnight. The T has closed (this is very uncommon). People say a nor’easter is like a hurricane with snow. But I think that two to three FEET of snow is not quite the same as a hurricane…the winds I might be prepared for…not the snow. And I have a pup to take out.

We’ve had snow since I moved here. People in Boston don’t treat snow like we do in “the South.” They go about their business, wrapped head to toe in wool, and don’t much worry about it. Here’s a view of my walk home from work on January 15:

And on Saturday, 24 January, we had a larger snow – about four inches. The pup, Brenna, and I braved the cold to venture outside a few times…

And today, I took about 20 minutes to walk near work to see the beauty of the snow in the city. Today’s snow had already started falling…the pre-blizzard, slowly falling type, that gently landed on my eyelashes as I wandered through Boston Public Garden.

A squirrel was diligently working to salvage an acorn for winter storage:

And in Boston Common, the Central Burying Ground, established in 1756 as Boston’s fourth burying ground, was peaceful in its white blanket.

And finally, a snowman silently watched over the Common as the few pedestrians, brave enough to face the white flakes, passed by.

More about the blizzard soon. Here’s to hoping my power stays on and everyone stays safe!