Gersh Photo Post | Max Gersh | Multimedia Photojournalist

Now that it is starting to warm up outside (a little bit), I decided it would be the perfect time to post photos from last month’s blizzard. After some banter back and forth between meteorologists, I think the storm total snowfall was 15.1″ making it the third largest snowfall total in Rockford’s recorded history. That’s a lot of snow.

I started my great snow hunt before the storm started. I went to the Rockford City Yard hoping to find snow plow preparation. However, the only action there was a maintenance man making repairs to the salt dome elevator - a lift that carries salt to the very top of the salt dome.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Randy Dimmel, a property maintenance repair man for the City of Rockford, makes repairs to a salt dome elevator Monday, Jan. 31, 2011,at the Rockford City Yard. ©2011

As the first flakes started to roll in, I went out to get some shots. I went up on a parking garage that is next to the river. I was hoping to get evening commuters coming across a snow-dusted bridge.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Evening commuters make their way west over the Jefferson Street Bridge Monday, Jan. 31, 2011, before the forecasted blizzard reaches Rockford. ©2011

Yes, that is a frozen over, mostly snow-covered river.

We had light snow for the next 24 hours or so. Slow accumulations. The heavy stuff kicked in the next night. I was off work that day so I didn’t have to fight the evening traffic in blinding snow.

The following day, by the time I went in to work, the snow had mostly stopped. However, the cleanup was just beginning.  I walked through what had to be two-to-three feet of snow on my driveway to get to my car in the garage. Ordinarily, I would have shoveled the snow to make a path for my car. But the snow shovels my landlord left in our garage were missing. So, I backed the Subaru as far back in the garage as I could and just went for it. I literally made it about an inch from getting to a snow-blown section of the driveway. I decided to shoot a little cellphone video of my attempt.

Once I finally made it out, I hit the street to look for others digging out. I started close to my house and found plenty in my neighborhood.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Ice clings to Jaxon Oshita's facial hair Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, while he uses a snow blower to clear his Camp Avenue sidewalk in Rockford. Oshita said this blizzard is one of the worst snow storms he has ever seen. ©2011

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Buried cars line Guard Street Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in Rockford. ©2011

As I ventured a little farther out, the scene was the same. Everyone was digging out from the Snowpocolype/Snowmageddon/SnowMG/Blizzaster… I could go on.

I accidentally turned down a road that arguably has the steepest hill in all of Rockford. I could turn this post into an ad for Subaru but I’ll just say that I made it up and over. That is where I found a guy snowblowing his driveway.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Andrew Lippert uses a snow blower to clear his driveway Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, on Garrison Avenue in Rockford. ©2011

I decided to head farther north into more rural neighborhoods. I found a couple of kids building a snow fort with help from their mom. I decided to hang out with them for a while.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Max Caltagerone, 8, uses a shovel to widen a snow fort Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in front of his family's home on Ann's Acres in Rockford. ©2011

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Mason Caltagerone, 4, places a flag on top of a snow fort Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in front of his family's home on Ann's Acres in Rockford. ©2011

The next day, the cleanup continued around town. I found a landscaping company using end loaders to clear out driveways in a townhouse complex.

MAX GERSH | ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR Dave Stracka of the Cherry Valley Landscape Center uses a loader to clear out residential driveways Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, on Trowbridge Lane in Rockford. ©2011

I’ve never seen so much snow in my life. I can honestly say that I got my fair share of the white stuff this season.

For those of you that don’t already know, I am a week in to my new job. I am the new Chief Photographer and Photo Editor at The Courier-Times in New Castle, IN.

The Courier-Times

The job comes with perks.

My personal parking spot at The Courier-Times

I love the challenge of making an interesting photo, no matter the situation. That is something I had to do my first day on the job.

The town is building a Mr. Fuel gas station right off the interstate. I guess I should say they will be building one. Right now, it is just an empty field.  I decided it was best to show the location and leave the empty field in the background.

The southwest corner of the Interstate 70 and Ind. 3 will be the home to a new Mr. Fuel station. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

As we were winding down for the day and getting ready to send the paper off to the press, news breaks. A man robbed CVS Pharmacy.

Narcotics officers come down from the roof of Greenstreet Elementary School on Monday night after recieving a robbery report from CVS Pharmacy. A man allegedly threw a bag of narcotics on the school's roof. The bag is being carried away by an officer in the foreground of this photo. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

Here is how it played the next day.

The next morning, I drove to Tri Elementary School to cover a science fair.

Tri Elementary students walk through the gym and look and their classmates science fair projects. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

I then shot a portrait of a kid who is donating almost 50 pairs of his shoes to Haiti.

For something a little different the next day, I photographed a hearse pulling out of a funeral home. The man being cremated was a well know member of the community that road a Harley. So it was only fitting to take him to the grave the same way.

Charlie Williams is led to his grave by a Harley Davidson motorcycle pulling his hearse. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

That night, we kept an eye on the window waiting for the impending snow storm. The next morning, we started getting pounded by snow, accumulating something like ten inches in the next 24 hours.

Driving conditions on Memorial Dr. (Ind. 3) during a snow storm. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

Blowing snow caked onto a street sign near memorial park in New Castle, IN. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

Snow nearly hides a tree from sight in Memorial Park. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

Hay bails and tires sit stacked and snow-covered at the bottom of a popular sled hill in Memorial Park. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

Snow covered roads in New Castle, IN, a few days after a snow storm. This road is directly in front of The Courier-Times office. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

Thank god I bought a Subaru!

This morning I had my first sporting event. Almost all of the games for the weekend were canceled because many of the counties were in a level 3 snow emergency. That means if you travel on the roads and it is not an emergency, you can be ticketed or arrested.

The regional bowling tournament was postponed a day so I shot that briefly this morning. When there isn’t a good vantage point to shoot from in front, it is difficult to make a nice bowling shot. I focused on the coach and team while a teammate was bowling.

Trojans head coach Ronald Ragan (right) watches over his team during the first round of bowling Sunday morning at Rose Bowl for the Indiana High School Bowling Club Regional Tournament. The tournament was scheduled for Saturday but heavy snow in the area left many counties under a snow emergency. (C-T photo Max Gersh)

So what’s next?

Unfortunately, I can’t predict spot news. But I do know my area is set to get another 4-8 inches of snow on Tuesday. I have a feeling more snow photos are in my future.

I love being a photojournalist. I have something different to do every day. It never gets old and it never will.