That's what they've named it: The Holiday Blizzard. I think it's a good idea to give blizzards nicknames. That helps me distinguish it from previous ones like The Blizzard of '82, The Blizzard that Damaged all the Trees (1997), and The Blizzard that Closed Work for Three Days (2003). The latter was my personal favorite. Don't you just love the rocking chair on the front porch? It looks like it's been covered in cotton batting and is ready for new upholstery.
Oh, yes! My neighbor remembered that I babysit his dog a lot. He plowed his way across the street first thing this morning and started on my driveway. He dispatched 17 inches of snow a lot faster than the first 12 inches I shoveled by hand yesterday. Later I stuffed him with cookies and wrapped his Christmas presents for him. A fair trade, I thought!
The overhang of snow above the front porch reminds me of that cute scalloped edging I've seen decorating some kitchen shelves. But this decoration will undoubtedly come thudding down as soon as the sun warms up those gutters.
My faux "Gloire de Dijon" rose is almost visible on the right of this big snow mound. "Gloire"outgrew a five-foot-tall obelisk this summer and is still reaching for the sky. Just think of all that winter insulation for it. I won't be watering outdoor plants this month.
In the back yard, an old flat-topped pedestal got a smart pyramidal cap. Nature's symmetry!
The only diner open today... a covered birdfeeder. Those indentations in the snow below the feeder are normally a set of wide open-back steps that lead to the upper lawn. I didn't dare try them as they are rather crevasse-like at the moment.
Next to the Adirondack chair you might be able to make out a mound on the right. That's a matching table. I trudged through drifts up to my thighs to get this picture. All for you, my blogging friends! (Well, I also had the birdseed with me).
By late afternoon, the snow ended and the storm clouds headed northeast toward Nebraska, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Hopefully, by the weekend, all the stranded travelers will be making their way to their destinations too. I'm sure they won't be dreaming of a White Christmas!
On Monday, the weatherman said there was a storm coming in. We could get a dusting of snow, or up to 8 inches. By yesterday afternoon, he'd changed his forecast: 15-24 inches. His later prediction was the right one. I did rather want a white Christmas, but the dusting was what I had in mind. This is what it looked like Wednesday afternoon. You can almost see the third path I dug down my front walk. After the fourth shoveling, my back and I gave up. Another 12 inches overnight and I'll worry tomorrow about how I'm going to get the car out of the garage and get up my hilly street. At least I'm inside and have the comforts of home. There are 4,000 travelers stranded at the airport tonight, and they probably won't get out Thursday or Friday either. A lot of ruined Christmas plans. Not to mention the many cars stranded or abandoned on the highways. The National Guard will be working all night to make sure no one is left in those vehicles.
I can almost see the house across the street belonging to my neighbor-with-the-tasteful-light-display. He also has a snowblower. I will try to remind him tomorrow of the many times I've babysat his dog when he's out of town.
Inside it's a bit more snug. These birds are on a smaller Christmas tree in the kitchen. I love wild birds and I pick up bird ornaments at garage sales and here and there. The birds on my indoor avian tree were the lucky ones. The birds outside were desperate for shelter and favored the covered birdfeeder today for their sunflower seeds. I was surprised to spot a Rufous-sided Towhee who must have been blown off-course in the 40-50 mph winds. Towhees don't frequent my yard and the last one I saw was several years ago. And first thing this morning, before the snow started in earnest, there was a gorgeous red fox hunkered down in the grass, while the winds howled around him. He gave up and trotted off towards a huge spreading juniper bush which could offer him better cover. Those junipers are good for something!
If I saw this bird in my yard, I'd have to be on a different continent. This is an English Robin on an old crackled ornament I've had for a long time, and it's one of my favorites.
I'm not sure if English Robins lay blue eggs like their American cousins, but here's a nest of delicate porcelain eggs that also graces the bird tree. When I'm mowing the lawn in the summer, I always look for pieces of blue egg shells the robins have dropped away from their nesting sites. Summer seems very far away tonight! Where was I? Oh yes... On, Prancer, On, Dancer!
So we had Round 2 of the Holiday Blizzard on Thursday night and all day Friday, but this time the winds didn't howl, so it was merely a storm. By the time it was over we had another thirteen inches of snow. This towering Blue Spruce is across the street. Notice my neighbor's trash piled below. Not sure when we'll get pickup again. 
Today, the day after the storm, the skies are blue and sunny, and the trees look gorgeous glistening with snow.
My neighbor's snowblower bogged down with this very wet and heavy snow so I started shoveling my driveway by hand. The snow kept sticking to the blade so I tried out that trick I'd heard of spraying cooking oil on it and it worked. I was very surprised. A few neighbors borrowed the spray can too and now the odor of olive oil is redolent in the air.
Out in the back yard, I can no longer get to my feeders, so I scattered some seed and peanuts close to the house. Some Black-billed Magpies were my first customers and I caught their tracks in the snow on my camera.
Even more cool is this imprint of a Magpie's wing and body he left when he landed on top of the snow to grab a peanut. They're a big bird with a wingspan of about two feet. Looks like those fossils you see imbedded in stone, doesn't it?
Much smaller birds grace some holiday dishes that I love using at Christmas. Don't you love the feel of beautiful bone china? The heft of it is very pleasing and the translucence always amazes me. Forgive me for carrying on. Years ago I worked in the China and Silver department of a May Company store and I've never quite gotten over it. The House Finch above is common at my feeders and the Eastern Bluebird below never will be. But its cousin the Western Bluebird will be back with the blue of the summer skies.
