Snow is here!

For those of you who don't live in snowy climes, here is what you are missing (whether you're happy about missing it or not is up to you!) Snow began late last night or early this morning; it doesn't appear to be too crippling yet, but forecasts are for up to 8" so we'll see. I haven't been out yet, but brave Onkel Hankie Pants has taken the dog for a walk, done a little shoveling, and driven off to spend the day tweaking maps on the computer. Here's what I've seen out the window. To the left, these are the lions that flank our front steps, nearly covered with snow. (As are the steps. The walk from there to the front door is rather steep, and we try to discourage people from using that door in the snowy, icy winter.)

Here is a photo of the arborvitae or whatever it is, next to
our front door. My attempt at artistic nature photography!
It is quite pretty. This is the first "real" snow we've had this season; there was one day when snow came out of the sky and stuck to leaves and grass, but melted on
the roadways and sidewalks and was soon gone entirely.

Next there will be a view of the parking lot across the street (apartment building) which I have entitled "Get out those brushes and scrapers!" You can also see the big overhead electric lines which ensure power outages whenever there is a big ice storm.



And finally, for anyone who wants to see a living being, here is a photo of Rusty, resting from his morning walk, sitting in his favorite chair in the living room. I think the snow had stopped for a while when he and OHP were out, as he wasn't wet at all when he jumped on the bed on his return. It's snowing again now, though. In this photo he was interested in what I was doing going to all the windows and using the camera, but often, he hangs his head over the arm of the chair -- this one has just the right proportions for him to do that comfortably.