Snow!

Everything cool (as it were) seems to happen on a Wednesday. Woke up to that heavy quiet that says there's a good blanket out there, and that unmistakable glow through the bedroom window.  Snow, snow, and more snow! And cold, too, so it was lovely powder.

Of course, not everyone at our house was pleased by this.

"Harumph"

Oz kinda wanted to come in, but I think he also really needed to pee.  Just after this, he took off through the snow drift, like Snoopy in the tall grass, to get to clearer ground under the oak tree.

I headed out to try out my turquoise shovel and admire the scenery. Here's the back deck, looking toward Ted and Mary Anne's place. 

 Here's the view up through the cherry tree branches in the front yard.

And looking back at the house from the driveway as I was shoveling.

Or not. Such a pretty shovel!

And when I finished up and went back inside, here's who I found. I guess that was enough leaping through snowbanks for one, um, year?

What Oz saw

I am rushing around the kitchen, Wednesday morning, getting ready to leave, when I notice Ozzie sitting on the table on the deck, looking all pretty against the little pot of primroses. Aw, just gotta get a photo, so I grab the camera and snap.

Then I realize the reason he is sitting so still, and wasn't distracted by me in the window, is that he is Looking At Something.

Seriously, watching closely!

 

And here's what It was:

 

No, that is not Harriet. Raccoon traversing back yard!  Huge! Deserving of kitty respect and close attention!

But wait - Oz is still watching:

Second raccoon!  Equally huge!

"WTF?"

Frosty croci

We had some lovely heavy frost.  That, along with the rich brown compost that Andrew brought to dump all over the razed garden, made these very first crocus blooms really pop into view as I was taking out the recycling last Wednesday.

Aren't they sweet?  And the cotoneaster was all frosted too.  And the cats, who did not accompany me to the curb, you'll notice. No cats in these pics, no sir, they're inside on the part of the kitchen floor that has a heat mat under it on a timer until 7:30am.