15 min. to a Clean Driveway...

We got our first decent snowfall last night and woke up to a little over 3 inches of the white stuff.  By normal McCartyville Road standards, this wasn't even worth worrying about.  But -- this is the first snowfall I would get to use the snowblower on the new driveway.  Up till now, the small snows didn't amount to much, and I thought the guys might have installed that new kind of cement that doesn't allow snow to stick or build up.  Oh, if only there were such a thing.

Well, it was 0800 hrs. and Jim brought over the snowblower.  He made an initial pass and got the sidewalk real quickly.  As I took over, he said I would probably be able to keep it in the fastest forward speed now that we didn't have to worry about rocks being thrown all over the place and ridges in the gravel.  Just push down the drive handles and walk behind.  The only things that slowed me down  -- turning around when I got to the end of the drive, and working around the boat. In all, it only took about 15 min. to do the whole thing.  I don't think my heart doctor (if I still had one, that is) would have a problem with that.

It looks pretty good out there.  But one thing never changes -- the wind always blows  and the county snow plow will always come by AFTER you have done the drive, leaving a pile of "road snow" across the front. 

You can see the snow starting to creep back onto the edges of the drive, and the "road snow" at the far end.  Oh well, at least it's not 8+ " and 25 m.p.h. winds.  Also, the national weather service is calling for temps to get to 50 degrees on Sunday.  Almost golf weather.

We Skyped with Doug and Quinn around mid-morning.  Quinn said he had been out helping daddy shovel the snow on their sidewalk.  Brooklyn must have gotten some of our snow.  It was kinda neat seeing him -- flannel shirt on, red cheeks and messy hair  -- just finished and just took his hat off.  Sounded like they had fun.

When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, I'll know I'm growing old.  (Lady Bird Johnson)

Hooah

Wintery Sunday evening on McCartyville Road...

I forgot to mention last week that the owls have been back and set up shop in the corn field behind the house.  I first noticed them about a week and a half ago, and have been seeing them in the evenings one or two at a time.  But tonight, they must have organized a hunting party because about 1730 hrs. I happened to look out back and saw a bunch of brown spots lined up along the runway by the edge of the cornfield.  They are easier to spot now because there is snow on the ground.  Also, they showed up well in the setting sun as it cast its long shadows across the field.  They were too far away to get a picture -- even with the telephoto lens on the camera, but I could easily see them with the field glasses. 

Meanwhile, the little birds around the house were busy flapping around the feeders, fighting over the birdseed.  We have some bluejays, a few very bright cardinals, doves, and lots of little flappers.  They still congregate at the feeder my dad build many, many years ago.  However, they now have a new feeder to check out.  It has been hanging up for a few days and they have been a bit wary of it.  The cardinals and the little flappers have now found it and have hit it up pretty hard for seed.  This feeder also has a place on each side for suet and it seems the bluejays have found those to their liking.  One side is a high energy apple-flavorer mix of some sort, and the other is a penutbutter-seed mixture.  The old feeder has been empty for a couple of days now, and I have refused refilling it until the birds discovered the new feeder.  That only took them a couple of days.  Smart birds.

Pam and I thought it took so long for them to get used to it because it has a red roof and looks like a pizza hut.  One interesting note -- we bought this at Lowes.  They had a whole slew of them on the shelves.  Funny -- this was the only one out of about 10 other styles that was made in America.  Seems China has the corner on birdfeeders.  By the way, this one was made in Ohio!!

One other thing I noticed this evening was how it was still light here and it was after 6:00 p.m.  It was cold and there was snow on the ground, but with daylight that late into the day, golf season can't be too far away.

God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

Hooah

Good to get the family together...

This past Christmas was a special time in that we actually got a great deal of the family together over a couple of days.  This hasn't happened very often.  People get busy, we get separated by distances of more than just miles, and "things" get in the way.  That's why this was a pretty special time.

Quinn is growing up so fast, and those of us at the other end of the spectrum aren't getting any younger.  There is something special about getting to see your aunts and uncles and great-aunts and great-uncles, and recognizing them, if only by name.  At least he can now start to put names to faces and start to put together the pieces of "his family."

This was a two-day process.  On one of the days, we had all of my family together.  See the picture below.

On the second day, we went to Pam's brother's house and Quinn got to play with his cousins, all of whom are around his age.  He had a ball! They played in the basement for a while and he came up, about an hour later, raising his arms over his head and pronounced: "I'm wound up!!"  Not all of Pam's side of the family could be with us, but it was really great that he got to actually play with his cousins.

I have stated any number of times in this blog that I want Quinn to know his Grandma and Grandpa, but that goes for all of his family.  I can think of nothing worse than for him to sit down some day and muse, "Grandpa (or Cousin So-and-So) was a pretty good guy.  Too bad I don't know more about him."

A family in harmony will prosper in everything.  A family with an old person has a living treasure of gold. Chinese Proverb.

Hooah