Welcome to Winter 2008!

I know this isn't that unusual for people east of here, but this is a really big deal here. We usually get some snow every year, occasionally it sticks around for more than a day but we haven't seen weather like this in 10 to 15 years. It started with a storm on Sunday two weeks ago that dumped 1 to 2 inches of snow and pretty much brought things to a standstill. It warmed up some every day, it snowed some every day and dropped below freezing every night. The snow didn't completely melt. The well traveled roads were clear maybe 60% of the time but a lot of the side streets were very slick. I got to work every day, just put a couple of sand tubes (150 lbs) in the back of the truck and switched to 4 wheel drive. Of course, being older and wiser now, I didn't try anything crazy so I didn't have any problems. It was one of those strange weeks at work, a lot of people out because of the weather conditions, but it also was the last week before the three week shut down. I don't have to be back to work until 12 Jan. Thats a good thing, considering this weather! 

Last Wednesday, employees were notified if they were eligable for the Voluntary Separation Plan . This is the first act of an 1800 person reduction in force. I am one of the eligable employees. I would receive 34 weeks of pay (14 wks + 2 wks for every year I've been with the company) plus what it would cost for 4 months of Cobra coverage for insurance. A tidy sum. I have to weigh that against how hard it will be to find another job by the time the money runs out and the chances of being laid off later anyways if 1800 people don't take the VSP. Merry Christmas, eh? I have to decide by 2 Jan. And, there is a chance that if I do opt to take the package that they could not accept me for the program! Between 2 Jan and 14 Jan they will decide who they need to keep to do business and who they're willing to let go. That would make for an awkward situation, asking to leave, not being allowed and have to come back to work. 

But, I am fighting a cold I got last weekend from taking the boys for a walk without proper head gear on.  My first head cold in several years. 

Heres the bird bath after the first snow fall.

Here it is after the freezing rain and another couple of inches of snow

We thought that would be it, but we've been wrong before....

This is the view out our kitchen window. Notice the branch the snow has bent all the way down to the driveway.

We lost a limb from the tree in our front yard. It didn't damage anything but it probably suprised the squirrels when it came down. It only took one day of warmer temperatures for the trees to loose all that snow.

R, on the other side of town, got a bit more snow and a lot more wind that caused drifting. He had to shovel  a path from the dog door, across the deck and down to the back yard so Gabby could get out to do her "business".

Shakespeare enjoys romping in the snow. It rev's him up every time we head out for our walk in the morning. We've had to walk in the streets for the past week because the sidewalks don't get cleared here. Luckily there hasn't been a lot of traffic. The snow depth is no problem for Shakespeare, but Baileys legs are shorter. He doesn't like to drag his stomach and such in the snow. 

Normally we have the family over on Christmas Eve for a party. Not so this year. The icy, snowy roads and pathways with the possiblilty of an accident or nasty fall just aren't worth it. With luck the weather will cooperate and we will get together some time next week to swap presents, lies and have some good food.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Safe New Year!