It IS Snowing

I stepped outside yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock to take out the recycling and to check the mail.  I was quite surprised to have two teeny-tiny snowflakes land on my glasses lens.  It came down small and fine, almost like powdered sugar, at first - in 3 hours, it was big fluffy flakes falling.  This morning, it's fine light flakes again.  The newspaper says we had 5.1 inches fall overnight - and, of course, it's still coming down.   - Right now, I'm looking at a red-shafted flicker eating mealyworm suet from the feeder in the backyard, at Lynn's house.
   Seeing how light, fluffy, and fine the snow looked, I took the broom downstairs to the Touareg - swept 95% of the snow off in just a couple of minutes.  A neighbor was trying to clear her car with her hands, so I loaned her the broom to get her going.  The car started right up, and, as I had pulled the wipers away from the windows, I had no problems with them being stuck.  Then again, it was so cold, there was no ice melt on the windows to worry about...   Supposed to get up to 20 degrees (F) today, with a low tonight of -3.  I'll be safe at home with my kits, when that occurs.
   I had no problems getting from the apartment to Lynn's house, but I had to laugh when I arrived: the garage door was stuck mid-way up and down.  Christine hadn't waited to be sure the door closed before exiting the driveway.  I had to get out of the car, stoop under the door, and use the re-set button inside to get it to close, and then re-open, so I could drive the Touareg inside.
   Lily met me at the laundry door, which was a surprise - but I guess she knew I was here to feed her. Opened the office door and Lyra, Cleo and Tessa popped out, in that order.  I put Cleo and Tess out while I fed the cats breakfast, and made the dog's breakfast.  "Made the dogs' breakfast" sounds funny, but Tess and Cleo both get assorted supplements added to their food.  After the car crash, Tessa's kidney function test was a bit abnormal, and she's never been a big water drinker, so the vet suggested giving her turkey or chicken broth to drink.  That's now mixed in her food, as well, and, of, course, Cleo has to have some, too.
   Currently, Tessa is asleep in the entryway; Cleo is asleep on the radiant-heat tile floor behind me; Lily is upstairs on the bed; and Lyra is snuggled up in her petal bed in the top of the cat tree, watching the snow fall and the birds visit the three feeders.
   My kits are home and have probably awakened Beatrice by now.  I gave them a treat for their breakfast and they ate almost all of it.  Nedi wanted to go out and play in the snow on the balcony, but I didn't open the door for him.  He was giving me a hugely pleading look, but no mews, when I left to come here....
   Supposed to stop snowing around noon (according to the weather folks) and then just keep getting colder.  We'll see.  I have a book to read, and can do genealogy work while I'm here.  I promised Christine I'd stay until she returned from her planned trip and a stop back in at work.  I won't be bored, with four critters, books, the internet, television, and the outside winter wonderland to keep me engaged!

Strange Night....

It's my own fault, I know.  But I was glad I had purchased a new straw broom last week, and left it in my walk-in closet/dressing room.  I watched one of my favorite movies last night, Die Hard, and followed it up with last night's episode of Person of Interest.  It was cooler than it has been, and the kits were enjoying running in and out and catching bugs, so I had left both the sliding glass door and the screen door to the patio open about a foot in width.  At the end of Person of Interest, I turned the TV off, and wandered into the bathroom, relieved myself, brushed my teeth, and put on my long cotton sleep shirt.  As I turned to exit the bathroom, Lovey came in, talking away.  Then Nedi came to the dressing room doorway, and seemed to be checking over his shoulder...  I walked on out and found five raccoons in my apartment.  I know that Momma 'Coon brings her four youngsters along and, essentially, they "quarter" the back yard each night around 10 p.m.  I just didn't really expect them to be bold enough to come in through my door.  Dumb me! 
  It was one of the younger kits that I first met; it hissed and stayed right where it was, looking over it's shoulder for Mom's back-up.  I couldn't help it: I started to laugh.  Two of the youngsters were eating from the two types of dry food that I have in kitty dishes, Mom was eating salmon in gravy canned food; the fourth youngster was investigating the door of the refrigerator.  None of the critters seemed interested in leaving.  Lovey and Nedi were staying behind my legs, with occasional growls and hisses erupting.  First, I tried to look larger than I am - I swung my arms out like the Tasmanian Devil in the cartoons, and hissed and growled.  I got looks from all of the intruders, but nothing else.  So I started to look around in the closet/dressing room, and I spied the new straw broom. 
  It's a little ragged in places right now, but I consider the missing areas of straw as war wounds.  I ended up literally sweeping the first (closest) youngster back through the back door, then the one at the 'fridge.  Mom and the two young'uns together are the ones who bit and tore at the broom, as I pushed them along the tiled floor and out the back door.  I closed the glass door and locked it.  Lovey got up in the cat tree, and Nedi crawled behind the glass door's curtain, so they could both lord it over the raccoons who had been sent packing.  I dumped and washed the old cat food bowls; then filled up new clean ones.  The raccoon family stayed for another half hour, trying to convince me to open the door and feed them some more - but I didn't.
  I'll have to keep an eye on the time, the kits, and the raccoons tonight!