We have snow on the ground this morning - plenty of it! This is the view from our windows looking down at the road. The "few inches" predicted turned out to be 8.5" here by actual measure at 9 a.m., and it's still coming down steadily. The flakes are bigger, and the temperature seems to be steady at about 32 degrees, so the snow is pretty heavy. According to reports, there are some power lines down which have closed some roads in the Central Vermont area, and other roads are reported as not great for traveling.

Our road here on the west shore of Joe's Pond has been plowed - the crews were out early, so traffic seems to be moving easily both here and across the pond on
Route 15.









Fred was up early and out with the snow blower, but before he left, he spotted this fellow high in one of our ornamental apple trees. Partridges often hang out in the ornamentals - I think they feast on the little berries.

Woody looked out the door and quickly decided this was a good day to stay inside. He's been curled up on his bench by the window where he can watch the birds and snowflakes in between naps. He watch me shoveling off the deck for a few minutes, but by the time I got back in the house, he was sleeping again. He has a good life! And he's endlessly entertaining for us.

Yesterday I changed an arrangement in the kitchen so now one access to his cat walk overhead is gone. He woke up in the middle of the process and sat in a nearby chair looking up at the top of the cupboard which used to be his "landing," and I could practically see the wheels turning as he tried to calculate how he was going to jump up there without his usual route. He still has access by another route (or two), depending on how hyper he is. He is able to spring straight up at least five feet from a sitting position, and if he has a running start, I'm sure he'd double that, easily. He does this quietly, so I'm sometimes startled when he plunks down on the back of my chair after navigating across the fireplace mantle. How he gets by the clock and all the little decorations usually there, I can only imagine. This is a huge contrast to when he runs through the house sounding like a small pony.

The road crews are busy pulling people out of ditches and trying to keep off ramps sanded, etc. The scanner is crackling with activity this morning. I'm glad we did our errands yesterday.