I live in a small town, in the long-winter-cold, where the ice cream shops close for the winter and return in the spring. This was the scene at our local ice cream shop the night before they opened.

And I went by the next morning too. Belt’s will have lines like this all summer long, and I’ve never tried them, lol.

Do you have signs of spring around you?

January 9th marked the 10th annual polar plunge for Angel on My Shoulder and we were there, once again, to document the event.

All the people lined up were jumpers, but Mr Green-britches was the most scantily clad. lol

The first jumper turned to his girlfriend, ring in hand, and asked her to take the big plunge with him!

She said yes, then he scooped her up and they went to take the cold jump.

There they go!

They a quiet, cold, moment to celebrate their choice!

Too funny not to share.

Think that water was cold? Lemme tell you, they have to keep skimming the ice off while waiting, so yeah, it
is cold.

They look a little nervous.

I cropped in so you could see the expressions. I think dad is saying a prayer, wondering what his wife got them in to. The little girl looks like she’d rather be anywhere else. Even mom, seems she might be having second thoughts.

Hosted by Cecily and Michelle

Yay! They did it!

Even the devil took on an angel.

But this hairy angel is taking that devil with him.

I’m truly thankful for the people willing to brave the frigid water, and air, to raise money for such a worthy cause!  Sorry this one is a little late.  But it was too good to glide over.

LAST year’s plunge photos are here

After blowing the driveway we had to get out and look around.  Love the bright berries buried in snow.

Check out this sign, it looks like the snow is trying to push it off the building.

I think soon the sign may just say “Bug”, lol

And Hallmark’s Gold Crown appears to say “Cold Crown” and emphasizes the fact with some dangling icicles.

Just one of four piles in this parking lot.  I know, the day was still dreary so it’s hard to tell, but the pile is already as tall as some of the nearby buildings and this was our first snow!  All through the winter you will find these piles in each parking lot, getting added to each time the lots are plowed.

When we moved to Wisconsin, it seemed that Dennis was always gone when it snowed – he worked wacky hours, still does, and it just so happened the timing of his work and the snowfall coincided.  So, I was the one left shoveling the drive-way.  It’s funny, back then we still had 5 teenagers (4 boys!) living at home, but it was mama who shoveled the drive.

Then, the first time he was home when it snowed, get this, he ran out and bought a snow-blower!  Wimp! lol  I must say, I love the snow-blower!  Often, I’m still the one clearing the driveway, and I don’t mind at all, in fact, I think it’s a lot of fun – yeah, I’m weird.

Doesn’t the blower make the edge of the snow so nice and pretty?  I love how it leaves the sides so neat.

And look how far it blows!  Amazing and fun!

Haden can’t resist helping out with a shovel.  Love him throw too!  Impressive!  I guess you could say he has lots of experience by now, lol.

The only thing bad about using the blower, even without wind, you get a good amount of snow back on you.

And, it’s a lot less exercise than using the shovels.  But still, it’s fun!

Uhoh, I better get out of the way!

Haden was a little too slow, oops.

But it’s all good, see he’s smiling.

Hosted by Cecily and Rachael

I’m not sure what the total was for the night, I’m sure we got at least 8″, although our yard had more like 10″ from all the drifting.

The crow is more buried. lol

I love how the snow piles everywhere!

The wind must have really blown across our patio!

The swirl on the roof, makes me think of the curl on a baby girl’s head. Maybe I should climb up and stick a bow in it, lol.

Come on birdies, come and eat, oops, maybe we should clean the feeder off first.

The snow plows had been by before we went out, about 8am!  They sure are on top of it!  So, the guys cleared our driveway, photos to come, then we ran out to Starbucks and to look around!  What a glorious morning!

I couldn’t resist popping out at nearly midnight to snap a few photos of the progress of snow.

I love how the snow flocks everything.

I love the lights make stars.

Mr Crow is getting buried.

THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO REACH AN INTENSITY LEVEL NORMALLY OBSERVED ONLY A FEW TIMES EACH DECADE…AND THE AREA HAS NOT BEEN AFFECTED BY A STORM THIS STRONG IN YEARS. ~I find this very exciting!

It has been snowing little flakes all day.  I’m so excited we have a blizzard coming tonight!

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...
...WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREEN BAY HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

* SNOW WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE IN INTENSITY THIS EVENING BEFORE
BECOMING HEAVY WITH NEAR WHITE OUT CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT AND INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE DIMINISHING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE
HEAVIEST SNOW SHOULD FALL BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 9 AM ON
WEDNESDAY.

* 8 TO 14 INCHES OF ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED.

* THE COMBINATION OF SNOW...WINDS THAT COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 45
MPH IN CENTRAL AND EAST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...AND NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES WILL LEAD TO BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS AT TIMES AND MAKE THIS A DANGEROUS WINTER STORM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
THIS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. DO NOT TRAVEL.
IF YOU MUST TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT
WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.