We are getting our Christmas snow today. A winter storm has hit the Ohio Valley and has brought us promises of 8-12 inches of snow. It snowed heavily today, starting this morning, and we must have at least six inches on the ground right now. It is still snowing and there is more to come through the night and some tomorrow. Snow makes it so beautiful out in our yard but yucky for the driving on the streets. This snow will stay around till Tuesday because the temperates will be low. Tuesday will bring melting temperatures.

What I love the most with a snow like this is the effect that it has on the Christmas lights. I soooo love seeing the lights glowing underneath a coating of snow. I took a picture of our front porch railing where I wrapped several strings of lights around the posts. My picture doesn't do it justice. Our neighbor's fir tree is just gorgeous tonight. It has a thick frosted top on it and the lights glow wonderfully from beneath a layer of white. Everywhere you look a thick layer of snow lines the tree branches and the houses look very cozy with their coating of white on the roofs, around the windows and up the sides of the walls. It's like they are all sitting in slather of frosting.

Our neighbor, Doug, bless his heart, got out there and blew all the snow off our sidewalks and the neighbor's sidewalk on the other side of us. He did our driveway, too. Then he went across the street and did the old lady's sidewalks and driveway. Did them all twice since it was coming down so hard all day. That was an unexpected kindness. This is the friendliest neighborhood I have ever lived in.

The Santa polar bear on the back deck looks more at home now with that snow surrounding him and piling on him. He's merrily waving at us in the dining room.

What was most delightful, again, was the feeding of the birds. Sunflower seed applied to the deck porch railing and, voila, instant bird display! What was most spectacular were the fleet of cardinals that bedecked my deck. There were five bright males at one time on the rail but that picture didn't come out very well. Instead, I show you four. Their lady friends were decorating the box elder tree outside my window. I only wish that it had been sunny so that their bright red would have showed up more strikingly against the white of the snow.

Kip still hasn't made it down from Columbus yet. That's okay. We're glad he didn't attempt it last night with all the bad weather conditions. He got to thinking about the possibility of ice on the roads and he wisely chose to stay home. Or rather to stay at his girl's house late into the night. We told him not to try to come today either. And possibly not tomorrow since the snow is supposed to still be coming down. Besides, his girlfriend's roommate is going to be gone now and they will have time to be alone. I just hope that he doesn't get here at midnight on Christmas Eve. I guess we'll see him when we see him.

Unless I get inspired over the next two days and write something else, I'll wish it to you now. Happy Hollydays.