It snowed a little over the weekend

I guess I mostly missed the brunt of the biggest snowstorm of the year ... thus far. I was spending a weekend in Pengilly getting PW's tree decorated and generally avoiding the predicted snow dump. It was a pretty big storm in the Twin Cities, but pretty tame on the Range. There was a foot of snow at the MSP airport and 16 inches in Falcon Heights, near the state fairgrounds. Swan Lake, just outside Pengilly, had maybe three inches. PW's tree looked pretty good when I left and it was still upright, thanks greatly to the wire attaching it to the wall.

I'd missed the storm, but I got in on the fun today. I promised to talk to PP at noon. It's her last week in Tanzania, before she flies off to Oslo and a few days later to this city of ice and snow. I left the Range at 8:10 with the temperature at -8º F. and the roads nicely frosted with whitish slick stuff. It wasn't as slippery as US-35, the main north-south route. The surface of the road was blessed with packed snow from Hinckley to the junction of US-694, just north of St Paul. I guess it was too cold for the highway department's salt solution to be effective.

I made it home without going off the road, unlike at least five cars that I saw along the way - a couple with people still in them.  It wasn't a day to go the speed limit, or even close. I made it home in time for the intercontinental chat with PP, partly because my sidewalks and drive into the garage had been shoveled and neatly cleared by Unky Herb, plus some superb help from UHMSY (Unky Herb's main squeeze Ying).

PP is ready to come home for some Christmas warmth and probably something in a warm glass. Hot cocoa, maybe.

So later I had time to walk around the neighborhood in the remains of the snowstorm. The look of the town has changed drastically, and actually it is quite a bit more attractive. It's just a bit harder to get around here, and will be for a few days until the rubes get used to driving on the slightly slipperier surface.

I trudged over to Linwood to look for photos of wintry wonderfulness, and to get a bit of exercise. The tennis courts at Linwood are currently unusable for their designed purpose - tennis playing. I've passed many hours on these courts smacking forehands and backhands, but I've not figured out a way to use them with a foot of snow on them.

People walked by this bench in Linwood Park, including me, but no one saw fit to have a sit down.

Evergreens always look right at home in a winter wonderland. And the sky was that pure blue that only sees to be around on cold winter afternoons.