Sure Will Be A White Christmas

Good morning everyone!  Before I get dressed and attack my deck and driveway with the shovel, I took a few pictures as to what greeted me this morning shortly after 7 a.m.

It's snowing hard right now.  I'd say there are only a couple of inches on the ground at present -- on top of the ice deposited by the rain/sleet storm Thursday night.  I didn't leave the house Friday at all.  Yesterday I slid my way on still ice-slicked roads and sidewalks (don't people use sale or ice-melt anymore, geez!) to the Pick 'n Save because I needed to stock up on a few things.  It took me twice as long as usual as I was going very very slowly, frightened of falling.  The place was a mad-house! It seems people were taking the forecast of four to nine inches of snow seriously. 

But I got what I needed and I'm snug in my little home, looking forward to the big Packers game later today. 

It is hard to tell in these photos, but it is snowing:

Of course, a little bit of snow doesn't keep the squirrels from raiding my deck.  First thing when I looked out there were critter footprints all over the place and the three babies were gathered on the trunk of the big tree, peering at me, waiting to see if I was going to toss food out for them (I did).

Can you see them on the tree trunk -- they are on the left...

The babies are still leery of me, but not so momma squirrel, who comes running when I whistle:

Do you see her?  She is just reaching the top of the retaining wall.  And a few seconds later --

She got a big fat walnut out of the snow and sat at the end of the deck to eat, but she wasn't sure about the camera and kept an eye on it.  My presence normally doesn't bother her at all and she would probably come right into the house if I held a walnut out for her, LOL! 

A large branch came down sometime during the night, you can see it at the base of the small hill on the left, at the "bottom" of the retaining wall.  It doesn't look very big in this photo, but I will need to take the saw to it once it clears outside.  You can see one of the baby squirrels down at the base of the shrub, just about a straight line toward the top of the photo from momma squirrel.

I tried to get a closer photo of that downed branch, without stepping out on the deck in my robe and slippers (would have gotten wet cold feet!) 

Okay, not I have to get dressed and start shoveling.  Sigh.  I sure hope I don't end up shoveling nine inches of snow.  Two inches of snow I can handle!