Winter returned

This is our back deck this morning, and it's still snowing.  Officially we got 16.5" of snow since Wednesday on top of rain and then ice.  Our house is U-shaped and this deck is protected in the U.  Plus we have 60 trees in our yard so it really is fairly well protected unless the wind is out of the south.  On the north side of the house the snow is hip deep on my 6' husband in places on our driveway. He is out there now (on his 65th birthday) wrestling with the snowblower trying to clear the driveway and then sidewalks.  No snowplow has come through our street yet either so we aren't going anywhere today, unless it's much later.  

Considering the impact a storm like this has on livestock, we have it really easy. I do remember how much work it was to keep our cattle safe when we still farmed.  And it's the middle of calving season around here. 

For comparison - this was yesterday morning - before we got the wind along with additional snow.