CRAZY SNOWSTORM!

We live in Chicago. We expect winter to be bad. We expect snow. But we DON'T expect to have to compete in the Iditarod to get to the garage door!

It started coming down about 3pm yesterday and then by 5ish, it was coming down and blowing around quite harshly. By about 9pm you could look outside and see just mists of white blowing around. Everyone was geared up for a massive blizzard and so, being northerners, we stocked up on things like eggs and meat (forget those southerners who grab the milk and bread -- you can't stay warm on that kind of sustenance). On the radio in the morning, they were already coming up with all these names for the impending doom. One of the girls on the station I listened to coined the phrase "Snow.M.G" and all day long they were playing this fearsome music and announcing the news for "Snow.M.G 2011".

We woke up in the morning to NO ONE on the roads and everyone holed up in their little habitats. I finally got the courage up to go out about 11 a.m. in order to shovel some sembelance of a path on the sidewalk. I had to push hard on the door to even get it open about 2 inches and then I had to squish myself out. I shovelled as best as I could, but I was running out of places to put the snow so I did minimal shovelling except for what we needed to pass through.

Calvin had a blast romping around, but he was a little timid at first as the snow was so deep (they say we got like 20 some inches) that he wasn't sure if he would make it out alive! :) I figure that a few pictures from Calvin's perspective would be enjoyable and something to remember when it comes mid July. Of course, we may have to swim to mid July....

Cal had fun climbing up the huge snow bank that they made from shovelling the driveway.

Unfortunately, due to the way the garage is, we never get a full snowplow in front of the garage door. I left half of it just because I figured it would melt better if it weren't piled on the 20 foot high mound to the side of the garage.

I love the big snow drift on the roof. I was a little concerned about the weight of the snow on the roof, but I was assured by someone that it would be okay. If we get another 20 inches, then I should maybe be a little worried.

The street was just walled with snow on either side. Its hard for two cars to even get by each other.

Calvin wading around in the backyard. The only fearsome thing is that he gets lazy when its late at night or he's tired and he ends up peeing on the porch because he doesn't want to wallow out in the snow.