After the storm

Geni's face, as captured by my husband, says it all.

That's all there is to look at around here: snow covered with ice, covered with snow, and a little more ice on top for good measure.

The biggest snow storm of the season didn't strike overnight, as first forecast, but the snow started falling fat and heavy after dawn (around 8 a.m.) through most of the afternoon. Still, my small college on the hill rallied on and didn't shut down, even though every other college nearby did (including the humongous university to our south).

Because of the awful weather, I didn't hold my early morning class, having advised my students last night to stay alert for an e-mail from me. When I woke up before 7 a.m., the skies were dumping sleety, icy rain all over. I wasn't going to risk either my health, by going out in the chilly wetness while I'm still battling a cold, or my well being (or my car's), by trying to negotiate sleet-covered roads. Later in the morning, my husband drove me into the small college on the hill so that I could hold my regular office hours and my afternoon class. Hopefully, this will be it for bad weather.

When we returned home late this afternoon, I noticed how the icy snow had perfectly captured, like footsteps on freshly laid pavement, the progress of one of the many birds that come to find sustenance at our feeders. The cute, tiny bird prints in the icy snow brought a little cheer to the end of an otherwise dreary, cold and snow-filled day.