WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY (or 2) MAKES

The other day I sniveled a tiny little bit about snow being absent this winter.

EXHIBIT A: Monday 16 Jan 2012, 10 p.m.
Sum total of evidence this is winter
Corner of driveway and front walk  

I love building and having snowmen (or girls).
You can have a lot of fun with snow people.

And I so wanted to have my new 'lasagna' garden snowed on so it will 'cook' properly when it gets all soggy etc.

ASIDE: Yes, I have succumbed to the newest gardening fad. I might as well give it a try - it is nearly free, fairly harmless as far as I can determine, did not require super human effort to start, AND promises to make gardening simpler and require less labor (can it really???) - now THAT is something I would like!!!

And wouldn't it be nice if it actually delivers richer soil, fewer weeds and increased yields.  Seeing how as my garden has not been terrifically productive the past few years, I don't see that we have anything to lose except perhaps a little bit of time and perhaps some effort.

But we will discuss that project another day.
We have a good start though ...

Now back to today.

Tuesday the forecast predicted a storm and the west side of the state staggered as several feet avalanched communities unaccustomed to snow.

In the afternoon a dark cloud boiled in the sky until the cold but sunny day was left stark and bleak in a steady, numbing north wind. A few flakes fell in a flurry teasing the sear lawns that retained their dry coats - but then the afternoon cleared and the sun, low on the horizon now and giving no warmth, returned briefly to end the day.

Tuesday: Our resident woodpecker huddled
on the side of a tree opposite the wind.

Snow began to fall early Wednesday - sometime near 5 a.m. It continued the rest of the day, through the night Wednesday - and all day and night Thursday. We now have about the same amount of snow as usual in January. But it came in on one major storm.

EXHIBIT B:
What a difference a day makes - I've had to shovel this storm twice now!
Note these piles are over 5' wide and about 3' deep.

I love snowmen.  This snow has been light and fine and dry. Not good snowman snow. I have hoped, however, for enough warmth that the snowmen just can't stay away.

The biting chill of the past few weeks lingers, though.

The North Wind has whipped the snow into amazing sculptures hanging oddly here and there and sifted it, and drifted it into nooks and crannies in astonishing piles.

When David left for work Wednesday morning the driveway did not need to be shoveled. When I had to go out at noon I had to shovel for an hour to move the snow from where the car he drove away had been.

I have missed having snow but I have not missed icy roads.
I don't mind shoveling but it IS time consuming.
I wasn't complaining Monday just observing.

And while on that topic - of observing - where have youngsters that want money and are willing to work for it gone?  Not  a single one has come by to offer to clean my sidewalks OR to build me a snowman? I would think they would come ask for such easy money - especially after how they got such easy money before! And school was cancelled today -weather advisory and all. Kids should have had plenty of time to make a serious haul off their neighbors - everyone is positively buried - if not by the wind then by the plows!

Doesn't anyone have a work ethic anymore?

And now it is raining.
What??? you ask - raining?
Yeppers - raining.

Raindrops are falling - after and as they freeze!!

Everything looks candy coated.
If my car looks like this what condition is the street in?

Did you ever hear frozen rain falling?
Or is that the snow sizzling as the wet drops hit?
How would you describe that sound?