So glad we bought a snowblower last week!

 By the time I took the brand new "snow blower" out for its test run, seven inches of very wet snow had fallen. It is called a "quitanieves" in Spanish or "souffleuse de neige" in French, according to the trilingual manual. I got it on sale last week, fifty dollars less than today.

 I was thrilled! It did a great job of shooting the snow over to the side ( your turn a little crank to redirect the spout), and cleared the sidewalks down to the last half inch, but there was so much water in the snow that I had to use a shovel to hack up the stuff that was packed down by pedestrians. Still a workout to haul it around without running over the extension cord (special! for super-cold temps!), but I got the hang of it really fast. It's easy to use, and I don't have to worry about gas. The snow is still falling, and they are predicting 14" total by tomorrow morning's commute. I'll be doing it all again in the morning, but at least I won't be trying to move over a foot of wet snow, which would surely burn out the belt in no time.

A Snow Emergency has been declared, so parking restrictions go into place. In Minneapolis, for those of us without garages, this means the dance of odd/even sides of the street. If you don't move your car correctly during the time frames, you WILL be towed and it will cost a lot of money and take at least half a day to get your car back.

 My first snow tow, several years ago now, required a three-hour wait in a line at -11 degrees, so that by the time I got to pay my fine, I had to pee so badly I almost didn't make it home in time. NEVER AGAIN. Even with my butt-ugly Sorel boots that I bought in 1988 when I moved here, a full-length down coat with a hood, a wool hat, muffler and double ragg-wool mittens, I was miserable in that line

Tomorrow, I'll also have to shovel out  the garbage and recycling bins aren't so they won't be behind a snow berm in the alley, that will freeze and be there for the rest of the winter.

UPDATED TO ADD: 15" total,  and I"m so glad it shoveled the first 7" yesterday. It made today's job so much easier. But there is not getting around the fact that shoveling the snow away from the garbage and recycling bins, without getting it in the alley, is freakin' hard work.  It is one good way to meet your neighbors, though.

Someone made this nifty little song to help remember where to move your car and when.

As we think, so we become

via Harvest Heart's marvelous Tumblr.

Christmas in Crookston

We spent the holiday up north in Crookston with family. The day after Christmas, the sun came out.

We walked across the way to have a little something at Dave and Ida's place.

Although it wasn't super cold, about 5 degrees above zero, the moisture-filled air had covered the trees with hoar-frost.

It looked as if the trees were in bloom.

winter hike at the farm

Last Sunday, the sun was out, the wind had died down, and we went out on a hike around the Northfield farm. Two people had snowmobile suits on, two others had on snowshoes, and we struck out on a trail that had been broken by winter campers the day before. We reached the spot in the woods where a giant tree had fallen.

We tried out the sled, but the snow was too fluffy to get very far, so we left it behind.

These snowshoes, on the other hand, made the walk easier. I had never used snowshoes before! I think I need to find a place in Minneapolis where I can try them out.

There were lots of signs of life: tracks in the snow, and this fungus on trees:

Embracing winter, MN style!

via@NewsCut aka Bob Collins on MPR, two of the best Minnesota winter sports videos I have ever seen!

Now where is that video of the guys

Back to winter

Today the snow is squeaking when we walk, it's so dry. *queek queek queek* This Canadian podcast answers the question of why it makes that sound, after an obnoxious intro. Gotta love those Canadian O sounds!

My buddy Leo is so happy that I am back. Ana and Jose took great care of him, giving him lots of attention. There is a veritable shag rug of fur everywhere, but my Dyson Animal Hair vacuum will make short work of it--once I get a chance to use it! Maybe I should try this?

I taught my first two classes today, after correcting, printing and photocopying the syllabus for each one. I filled two grocery bags with junk mail from home and work. So much paper!

The car's battery was dead, but AAA jumped me and I got home fine last night. But it was dead again this morning, not a surprise really, so tomorrow I'll get it replaced. I took the express bus to campus, and I think I'll be taking the bus a lot more from now on. It stops a block away, takes about the same time as driving, but lets me off about a fifteen minute walk from my office. I can use the exercise--or rather my friend Mr. Belly could use it.

I love Minnesota!

It is sunny and zero degrees Fahrenheit this morning. Time to break out the BIG coat the one that is like wearing a sleeping bag, and the big ugly knee high Sorrel boots i bought when I first moved here and didn't have a car. And the special mittens. I'm so glad I got the oil changed, the car checked out and washed yesterday. It will warm up to the toasty twenties in a few days, but the high today will probably be ten degrees.

I know this means a big storm somewhere else, and folks are having a hard time, but that purple bulge of cold air coming down from the North Pole is over our part of the weather map for a few days, so Minnesotans will all be smiling and there will be some "you think THIS is cold. Why I remember..." weather talk. Hey, they're doing it on the radio right now! The coldest time of the year is usually in January.

After about five years of relatively mild winters, now we are having some real cold before the holidays. Why, I remember that time I was taking the bus (no car) and got on the wrong bus and had to walk about a half a mile back to campus and it was -11. I wept bitter tears and they froze.