Good morning GH.  Currently the desktop temperature is a sultry seven degrees.  Take that Chi-town.  The real time view out the traditional Weather Window is cloudy with lake effect snow in the air.  Many of the area schools are closed today, something that never seemed to happen where I used to teach, and something that actually never happened in the district where I matriculated through elementary school as a child.  I guess that times, parents, administrators, or something has changed, at least here in GH and western Michigan. 

I don't have a lot on tap today, just more work for Mary and a need to move some of the already fallen snow.  That won't be a Herculean task, given that the temperature is so low that the snow is very light.  I may just use a broom.  I'll try that first, since that really is the easiest.  Sugar the Weather Dog has already been out, no walk required, to do her daily chores.   Based on her rapid return, it is indeed cold outside.  Mary read something that said that when it gets cold, dogs lose their senses.  I think that the way Sugar has been eschewing the use of any bed upstairs, indicates that she has indeed, lost her sense of direction.

I have included some candid pictures taken from the various Weather Windows of our palatial estate, by way of edification.  We already had...Tea time, so that is one part of my day that is done.  Mary and I watched the inauguration yesterday, and it was a moving experience.  I hope that no matter what your political persuasion, that you came away with a feeling that our nation is fine and the future can indeed be bright if we all work together.

So, without further comment, except for captions, and in no particular order, here are the aforementioned pictures.

The path our letter carrier must follow as he goes on his appointed rounds to get to our mailbox.

A view out the mud room Weather Window into the backyard of our "Palatial Estate."

Sugar the Weather Dog's route to the "Back Forty," as seen from that mud room Weather Window.

A picture of snowbound Ragus and our windblown front shovel

Another view of our "Pre-Cleared" front porch.

Out the rear facing upstairs Weather Window, showing the "Statue Garden" behind us.  Barney looks cold in his leopard print tunic on the far right.

I knew I was right to cover that outdoor furniture under the big blue tarp.

An updated view of the Public Safety building and our neighbor's rooftop.

If you look closely, you can see the end of our shared driveway, where the city plows left a "souvenir of the snowfall.