Snowmageddon

"Howling Blizzard Deepens the Misery" is the understated lead headline in The Washington Post this morning (the online edition; we're certainly not getting home delivery). Not to deny there are many people seriously affected by this storm (we too played overnight host to relatives who'd gone days without heat or plowed streets), but isn't that a bit much?

Yes, the federal government and schools have had to pack it in for the week, but does this record-setting winter of snow really deserve the same treatment you'd give a Haitian earthquake or Indian Ocean tsunami? Perhaps the problem here in the capital of the known universe is that the snow serves as a useful reminder we're not the masters of the cosmos, that nature and other potential "inconveniences" still hold the upper hand, even in the 21st century.

And for those of us lucky enough to have electricity and a working oven to bake cookies while the landscape outside is transformed, this memorable week has had a lot to recommend it. Clients have asked if I'm off shooting monuments in snow. No, I'm sure they're very beautiful - the whole city is beautiful right now. But in a family that loves snow and snow sports, this has been an opportunity to enjoy ourselves right outside our front door.

Snowmageddon II from Jay Mallin on Vimeo.