Let It Snow? Not!

Of course a darling little dog needs her own private potty paths! If Darrel didn't make these paths for her, she would sink into the snow & we wouldn't find her until Spring, late spring that is. These views include one from my dining room window (great bird watching spot) & also one from an upstairs window.

Squirrel

The darling little finches gladly share the sunflower seeds with this squirrel who spends a couple hours every morning at the feeders.

White Tulips

White T-U-L-I-P-S !!
Oh they are so beautiful, even with the snowy backdrop. And guess where I found them - at the grocery store, a treat to myself, from ME. Oh yay, almost forgot to include the newest weather report, more snow coming.

Blizzard vs Winter Storm

Last weekend we had a blizzard. This weekend we're having a winter storm.

Tom the weather man assures us this is not a blizzard, only a winter storm. So I looked up definitions of both: A winter storm is an event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form.
A blizzard is a severe winter storm condition characterized by low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy blowing snow.

WELL. If THAT'S the case, this weekend's weather is indeed another blizzard since -50º wind chills are predicted, SO if there are wind chills, there has to be wind - oh and let's not forget we're to receive MORE snow, which means.... we are having ANOTHER BLIZZARD!!! Calgon take me away!!

Brrrrrrrrrrrr

Okay, just trying to warm myself up. Actually, I shouldn't complain, we've had a tremendous warm-up, it's only -5 now with winds only 8 mph!!! This means the chill factor is probably only about -15.

Yes, I realize it isn't actually winter yet.

Bohemian Waxwing

This little Bohemian Waxwing was hunkered down close to my window. I'd been watching him/her frolicking in the tree, snacking from the Mountain Ash berries and also the dried up Edelweiss grapes on our fence. My cousin Gloria called me from Minneapolis while I was bird-watching and I didn't want to say 'hey, I MUST go now & take a picture of this darling little bird' SO I took the picture while yakking to her. I took it through the dining room window so it has a frosty effect, but believe me, the weather outside IS frosty and oh so windy, with temperature of about -18 and who knows what the chill factor might be - for sure I would rather not know. BRRR.

Gingerbread Church

Instead of talking about the weather outside - which is frightful and purported to be the worst winter storm in 10 years, I wanted to post a picture of this delightful early Christmas gift from Cherie!! Rachel & I found this a couple days ago, but I decided against buying it for myself since I didn't really NEED it, so Cherie & Rachel together decided that I really DID need it. Is this not one of the most darling glass gingerbread houses you've ever seen in your entire live-long life?? I do have a history regarding gingerbread too - but that story is for another day.

Vacancy

My brother Rodger made this wren house for us last summer. It has an Adirondack chair on the porch which you can't see because it's covered with snow right now.
I would like to know what 3 inches of snow REALLY means! Darrel told me this morning we had 3" of snow. So WHY does the snow go past my ankles & my feet got all wet? According to my calculations, that would equal at LEAST 5 inches!

Darling Scarlett

Family On the WAY HOME

It is SNOWING outside, trillions of flakes are falling. Yesterday Darrel shoveled our place AND Jason & Jenelle's new place and today gets to start all over again. Saturday morning, Mike & Cherie, Rachel & Jay, winged their way to sunny Florida to help Jason & Jenelle move back to Minot!! They are all driving back with a big U Haul full of STUFF and of course Archie, J&J's high-energy dog. They should arrive here Wednesday evening, give or take a few hours. Jason is going to work for/with Darrel, selling State Farm Insurance. Jenelle will stay home for a while, expecting Gabriella, their first baby, end of Feb/early March. Jenelle is an audiologist and may, at some point, work part-time.