Sunday snow

The weather folks got it right, it started to rain/sleet Sunday afternoon and then turned to snow.  I think you call this texture of snow, sugar snow.  It piled up pretty good.  The cats and I decided to wait until Monday to shovel, so we lounged in front of the fire most of the afternoon and evening.

Barley really loves to stretch out in from of the fire and relax.

Monday morning, looking out at the job I had to do, I was questioning my decision to wait to shovel.  

Ugh, looks like a big job.

I bought a snow blower in the spring of 2010.  I used it about 3 times in the winter of 2010-11 and not once last year.  Today was the first time I was going to use it for this season.  I barely got started when I noticed that the left tire was flat.  So, pushed it into the garage, hooked up the bicycle pump and much to my surprise, the valve stem came off in my hand.  So, I finished the job with a flat tire, which meant the blower wanted to track to the left, but I managed.  Of course the maintenance agreement that I bought on the blower does not cover tires/tubes.  Geesh.

Owell, I got the job done with a flat, just had to muscle the machine more.

Ta Da

I have 'a thing' about keeping my driveway clear.  Partly it is a safety thing because I don't want there to be any ice to slip on, but partly it is a perfectionist thing I think.  I never thought I was a perfectionist until the last few years where I find myself needing to have some things in my life 'just so'.

I always feel good when the driveway is cleared and today it is so warm that it is quickly melting to be just dry asphalt.

The trees are just lovely today.

This snow is hanging on their branches like cream cheese frosting.

This blue spruce is one of the trees I had planted this fall.
I have wished since then that I would have planted those trees the first year I was here,
but then I saw this quote, and I know that I planted at just the right time.

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The next best time is now."

Chinese Proverb

If you look closely, you will see that this tree still has Christmas lights shining.

This little tree at the edge of my yard was really hanging with snow.

This storm was LUNA with the new naming convention the weather folks are using.

Maybe it will be a trivia question sometime.

This evening I took a picture of the blue spruce again, as you can see I have not turned off the Christmas lights yet and it looked just so pretty today.

Either really late... or really early Christmas tree.