Snow

If the long-range forecast is correct, by spring I will despise it. That though remains a mere prospect. This morning, the snowfall looks beautiful and is welcomed. With winter temperatures, give me snow.

Snow was recorded November 9 at O'Hare, but there was not enough to be measured. December 2 I saw traces of snow on the ground around the edges of our yard. December 9 was the first official measurable snowfall of the season. Today, though, is real. There will not be enough snow to fire up the orange beast, but the children's cars will need to be brushed off before driving and I may need to shovel the drive.

The cats puff up their fur and just keep staring out the windows. I do not know if they have forgotten the blizzard from last year and wonder what the white wetness is, or if they do remember and are staring in disgust.

For now, the snow is beautiful.

References:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-09/news/chi-here-comes-the-chill-snow-flurries-expected-for-evening-rush-20111109_1_first-snow-gino-izzi-chance-of-more-snow

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-snow-falls-across-chicago-20111209,0,5578611.story

http://bit.ly/s9FvVu

Christmas lights and squirrels

The Christmas lights went up yesterday (thank you Donna, Caitlen, and Kevin). They have LED lights inside what looks like colored acorns. Unfortunately, half of the light strands no longer work. It appears squirrels thought the dark orange Christmas lights were nuts and have chewed through and carried them away. Seriously. Apparently the genus Tamiassciurus Hudsonicus Chicagolandsuburbius is not the most intelligent of squirrels. At least there is no evidence of having electrocuted themselves and the partially chewed bulbs were dropped on the ground.

Fly like an eagle and land like a crow

Tadeusz Wrona is the pilot of Polish Airlines (Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A.) Flight LO 016 who yesterday performed an emergency gear-up landing in Warsaw. It appears he did the landing perfectly (video). Wrona is a Polish word for crow. The complementary pun now in vogue among aviation fans is "Fly like an eagle and land like a crow."

Reference:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2016661754_apeupolandcrashlanding.html