It was Still too Dark to See

When I first went out, but the birds were already looking for food.

The river shore in front of the house was packed with Canada Geese. American Tree Sparrows were jingling, picking at the seed balls and fighting the cardinals for the trays.

Now there are so many assorted blackbirds the box elders look like Halloween Christmas trees.

Because snow. A lot of snow. I came downstairs between four and five, and the boss, who takes Becky to work between three and four said, "It hasn't started yet."

However, I had just passed the stair landing window...and it had. Now it is snowing fine sparkly snow, very pretty in the glow from the yard lights. There is already at least three inches and it supposed to get a lot worse.

Every job that anyone works at off the farm is shut down for the day....except one. Jade is off anyhow, as it is his regular day off, but the trucking company he works for told the other drivers to stay home.

Mappy and Alan are both home from their construction jobs in the big cities. Too much snow. I am thankful they were both able to make the drive before this all got started!

The boss has wood piled up and under canvas and the kids have extra hay in the barns and stables so everyone can be fed without starting the skid steer.

However, one of the crew had to go to work and will have to get home somehow in what will probably be the worst of the storm. All those truckers holed up in the village truck stops, all the people pulling off the Interstate for respite, all the locals who like the good coffee she makes, are relying on Becky and the rest of the crew at our local McDonald's to have the sammiches and milk shakes and coffee going.

And so they are. And before you pick on a college graduate for working fast food....she can't see well enough to safely drive so she needed a job within a mile or so of the house.....and she has worked her way up to manager too. No complaints from this quarter.

In other news friends of Ralph lost their machine shed in a nasty fire yesterday. Neighbors and local businesses rallied, so even though they lost feeding equipment, tractors and some hay, they should be able to get the cows fed. Rural people are like that as can be seen in the incredible response to the needs of the farmers and ranchers devastated by the wildfires in Texas, Colorado and Kansas.