First Lake Effect Snow

A look out from our front door stairs this morning at the blanket of snow. The garden cart had been used to haul cord wood to the rack on the front porch and not put away the day before.

Snowed-in Yellow Mums ...

A horse chestnut tree, still not having lost all of its chlorophyl, caught by the snow. This tree, somewhat uncommon to my knowledge, is on the slope at the back of our house, nestled in among apple, willow and spruce trees. It's nuts are a favorite of squirrels.

Today we awoke late after a night of gusting winds and driving snow. A white world in gray scale background led me out of doors to shovel, take a few pictures and finish burying the new copper propane line. My oldest son Muir had split up a big pile of maple wood that was waiting to be stacked for next year, but it could wait a day more for stacking. Too much to see and do around the house.
The bird feeding station was filled with hungry birds and for the 3rd day a Northern Shrike came around, flying in and scattering the chickadees and nuthatches in panic. I haven't seen the "butcher bird" make a kill, though I did see him face down and cause a blue jay to leave his perch. The shrike was an especially austere sight today with the snow as background.