Winter Snack

Ever since first experiencing snow as a toddler, younger granddaughter prefers to nibble the fresh white stuff right out of her mitten.

Winter Smile

Happiness is stomping a hole in the snow hill until she's up to her chin.

Shovel Master

S-I-L couldn't wait for snowplow to clear garage door since girls had early appointment. Fortunately, and not by accident, daughter has 4-wheel drive jeep to handle the driveway.

Snowy Aftermath

This morning snow has stopped falling and scenes like this heavily laden tree are all around us. Only the tops of mailboxes are visible after snowplows clear the streets. Our bowl for collecting fresh snow has totally disappeared somewhere beneath the fluffy white stuff. Neighbors have left for work, daughter will leave later to take our granddaughters for annual checkups, and life moves forward after the snowstorm.

More Snow

Giant snowflakes continue to fall. Staying inside is a comfort and a challenge.

New Snow

Snowfall has begun, and weather forecasters predict 6-12 inches. Yesterday much grass was showing but not now.

Shoveling the White Stuff

(from January 8)

This Texan knows how to get warm in Minnesota. Daughter and SIL actually hired someone to climb on their roof to remove some weighty snow, then felt guilty when he showed up on New Year's Eve as they were leaving for a party.  At least he was a Minnesotan. 

Hey, no snow on the photographer!

Zeroed

At least a zero, and maybe a minus one-half!  The weather reports deemed the temperature minus one, so maybe the heavy male cardinal was holding the arrow down a bit.  Life continues as usual in cold country, thanks to snow plows doing their jobs.  School has recess outdoors as long as the windchill is above zero, and the temperature did rise enough by afternoon for children to grab sleds from the storage room and race outside.  Imagine a room of kindergartners putting on all their snow gear and then later removing it without needing help from their teacher.  By the age of five they have had plenty of practice. 

More snow!

(Early Thanksgiving morning)
The ground is covered with a new blanket of snow that fell last night. Look at that sunshine we are having today! Temperature is currently at 7 degrees, yes, seven. Younger daughter arrived last night safely and almost on time. What a glorious morning!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Fall and Falling

Yep, this is a pine tree, a big pine tree, that was growing its big self in the backyard of my Minnesota daughter until Tuesday night during storm winds of 80 mph.  Miraculously, it did not strike the house or anything more valuable than other landscaping.  She was curious about what her daughters would think, but they responded with "Cool! We can make a great fort!"  They will be most disappointed when they realize that a tree removal service is coming to remove it and will leave behind only a modest amount for fort building.  Yesterday their yard also had snow falling on it for the first time this season.  We left just in time to miss the white stuff, pretty but slippery.  Tree fall, snow fall, definitely fall.