The Blizzard of '10 Really Did Hit

So, I've given Long Island a hard time. I've made fun of it's snow ways, told it to "Pull up its panties" as it closed the gym and other things around town for a dusting of snow last Saturday, and stated that "Upstate wouldn't have even closed it's schools for what they're calling a massive snow storm." In fairness I am from Upstate, real Upstate, like Syracuse Upstate, not Westchester. And in Upstate we know snow. I've spent winters waking up to a dark sky filled with snow, spending all work day looking out the classroom window at the dark sky filled with snow, and went home, tucking myself in the couch with a warm blanket and bowl of beef stew, and looked out the window at the dark sky filled with snow. I've went days, sometimes months, without sunshine, and I've driven through streets whose snow piles were so high it felt like driving through a tunnel. So when my friends cancel a date because snow has grazed Beech Street and Waldbaum's lines take an hour just to reach the check out I tend to get a little bitter, and alright...maybe I feel a little superior. "Look at these people, are they serious," my husband and I laugh.

But yesterday Long Island gained my respect. The Blizzard of 2010, Snow-pocalypse, hit with a vengeance.

"I have to go to the beach," I said to my husband. "I want to see the waves. I want to take pictures."

"Have a blast," he sarcastically stated, wrapped under a warm, blanket with the kids.

My 16 year old dog, who turns into a young pup in the snow, got a special treat as I strapped on her leash and took her to the 'dog banned' beach.

I snapped pictures of the desolate streets of Park Avenue. I trudged through the unshovled sidewalks, snapped pictures of the now masked stop signs, snow covered hanging tree branches, snow capped fences, and finally, through the sting of the snow, and the 40 minute trek that normally 5, I reached the boardwalk and saw....the beach. At least that's what I know I saw. For anyone else who didn't live here it would have been a blur. The snow was so thick I could barely make out the waves that were crashing high above the jetties (is that how you spell jetties?). Surprisingly there where four other people on the beach with me. One man in a yellow jacket who strolled along, another woman who sat on a snow covered bench and look out on to the water, and another couple, with their dog, building snow men. I snapped and snapped, until my fingers grew numb and my eyes balls began to sting from the snow flakes that seemed to gravitate into my eyes. It took me another 40 minutes to walk home and another 20 to warm up.

And my pictures...well lets just say, the memories of what I saw turned out better than my pictures. Between all the snow flakes you can't make out anything. Guess I'll just have to go back down today and get some "after the storm" pictures. They'll probably be more pretty anyway.