Attack of the Snow Clones

And lo, on the seventh day of the week, there was snow. And the snow was good. And verily Ginger looked out upon the snow said: "So when are you planning on shoveling the driveway, because it needs to be done before tomorrow."

So I was a bit off last night when I said it was probably going to continue snowing for another 2 to 4 hours. It was still snowing this morning up till almost 11. Based on my semi estimates at measuring the snow on the back deck, it looked like we got around 11 inches. Pretty impressive considering the lack of any real snowfall recently and the stretches of 60 degree weather we were having. Even though it got to 11 inches, the temperature never got that cold. Last night I think it was down to 34 or 35 degrees. And today it's been in the low 40s.

I made waffles for breakfast (Ginger coached me through the process). After it stopped snowing I bundled up (hope OJ isn't still looking for the "real" killer) and headed out for some serious shoveling. While I was shoveling, Ginger gave the kids a bath and went through the long and tedious process of getting them bundled up enough to be able to go outside in the cold. Probably not the best idea we've ever had since Quinn's still recovering from being sick and Catherine still has whatever it is. But it's hard to deny them a chance to go out and play. And Catherine absolutely loves playing out in the snow. In addition to shoveling, I built the kids a snow fort. Once they came out, they seemed to like it, but not as much as the army of snowmen c(l)ones! Now with the army of snowmen at our command we shall achieve world domination! Provided of course the temperature doesn't get too high over 32 degrees. The kids helped me by bringing over snow and reinforcing the snowmen by patting the snow onto them. And Catherine used her "snowball maker" that she got from Nana for Christmas to make small snowballs which she proceeded to put on the heads of the snowmen.

The Snowclone Army (the primary one is somewhat taller than me)

I have to admit that once I had finished the driveway, the fort and the 6 snowmen, I had sweated more than a little. I think my entire shirt and jacket were wet, and not from melted snow. On the plus side, I think I lost 5 pounds! Ginger was eventually able to come out and play with us also, she had been busy inside getting all the kids ready and preparing lunch so that it would be ready as soon as the kids came inside. The Nikon's battery ran out before she came out. I got a couple of pictures of her out there with the Sony video camera, but I don't know exactly where the cable is for pulling images off the Sony (although we did give Nana a memory stick reader for Christmas, maybe she'll bring it up next weekend for Catherine's birthday and I can get the pictures then). Quinn really wanted to go sledding, but with it as deep as it was, we didn't really give that a shot (and the only sled that we have that would work in this much snow was outside and deflated). Maybe in a day or so once some of the snow has melted we can do that and get some video of it (the site of me crashing into trees is almost always amusing).

Quinn in the Snow Fort

Catherine in the Snow Fort about to launch a SMD
(Snowball of Mass Destruction)

After we had our fun in the snow, we came inside and had lunch and a hot drink. Then the kids and Ginger watched some of the Olympics. Quinn seems to like the downhill skiing and Catherine likes the ice skating. Go figure.

I went around and tried to take some pictures. The white metering on the Nikon apparently got all confused with all the light bouncing off the snow, so none of the shots look too impressive (nor what I had envisioned in my head when I was taking them). The ski mask look was done at this point (and I had sweated in it, so it was nasty), so I decided to go with the Abramoff look. And now you get to suffer through some pictures from by backyard.