Winter Returns

Winter returned at last and we finally had a significant snow last night. From appearances so far, it looks like we have about a foot in grassy areas, and about 4-5 inches on the pavement. After a winter in which thunderstorms occurred several times more often than frozen precipitation, this storm is well appreciated.

Last weekend, my wife and I enjoyed some lake effect snows in Chicago and figured that would probably be our last real taste of winter. Instead, it's a winter wonderland out here. The news coverage was a breathless as ever. On location reporters appeared at the salt depositories and wondered whether we were "ready" for the big storm. Others filed reports from the grocery stores where milk, eggs and bread were flying off the shelves. Would the shoppers be prepared for the weeks they'd be cut off from society after the first flakes fell? Story at 11!

Anyone who reads this blog knows we have an exceptionally stupid indoor cat. Never missing a chance to experiement with animal behavior, I wanted to know how the cat would react to snow. This morning, I woke up and decided to give the cat its first taste of cold winter fun.

My wife grabbed the camera, and I grabbed the cat. With a "one...two...three!" I tossed the cat into a snow drift in the backyard about five feet from our back door. As expected, the cat hated it. Stunned momentarily, it then quickly bolted back into the house, shaking off snow with every step. And for some reason, thereafter it wouldn't let us anywhere near it.

If National Geographic wants further information on this experiment, I'm willing to share data.