Sunday morning sunshine left shadows of the neighbor's dead cedar trees. They look much better in shadow than they do in real life.                   It stopped snowing about 4 pm yesterday and this morning, the sun was so bright it was blinding.  We got up early and Pk went out to shovel.  You can see the job he faced. The plows pile up the snow along the roadside and since we have to get the car out to go to work, someone has to dig through the 4 ft high pile.   Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult since the temps stayed well below freezing and the snow hasn't had time to melt and pack down.  It's still light and fluffy.  It didn't  take too long for him to shovel.  I sat inside and watched and then prepared breakfast (french toast, eggs and bacon) for him when he was done.  I offered to help but he said he'd take care of it.  (I'll admit, I was grateful).

I managed to finish my hat!  This has been the single most problematic pattern I have ever tried.  If you look at it, there's nothing to it!  I think I kept forgetting the yo after the ssk.  On one side it's yo k2tog and it's  ssk yo on the other side.  I continually wanted to put the yo in front of the ssk.  This made my "mountains" look funny.  The pattern is Sisters Hat (rav link).  I like the pattern.  Any difficulties I had were my own NOT the pattern.  I used the yarn Jim gave me for my birthday.  It's Patons bamboo/wool/angora mix.  It has a heavy halo and will have more as I wear it.  If you look at the brim, you can see how it fluffs up.  That part got a lot of friction as I ripped the charted portion out again and again (and again!).  It fits a little close for me.  I think I may try it again but add another pattern repeat to make it larger or use bulkier yarn. 

Oh, a whimsical photo from yesterday.  I told you I was doing laundry yesterday.  Here's what 7 loads of laundry will do to the snow.  That's the dryer's exhaust vent.  We found it amusing.  You can see how the snow mounded up against the front of the house.  And it melted right down to the grass. 

Tomorrow we're back to work.  I liked being snowed in yesterday.  The county declared a state of emergency to keep people off the roads so they could plow so we had to stay inside.  An enforced day off is not a bad thing.  This is the view out the back bedroom window.  There is a small porch on the back of the house and the snow piled up on the roof.  It's so strange to see that much snow right outside the window of a second story room.  We are spending the rest of the day doing what we like.  Pk is playing computer games and I am going to knit the swatch for my shawl kal.  The first clue comes out on Friday and I'd like some practice with this impossibly thin yarn.  I'd also like to wash the swatch so I can see how much the cashmere blooms.  I've heard it will bloom some but I'd like to see it myself.

And tomorrow we go back to the gym........