It came to me, quite unexpectedly, that if I thought too much about it I could become vegetarian!
Now that's a scary thought, having been brought up on a farm & eaten animals that I have 'known', but the past week or so has brought the more contemplative side of me to the fore. Let me explain. The chicken family that we have is a pure hit or miss with gender. We have chickens because we like the eggs they produce. Try as we like we cannot get roosters to lay eggs, thus they do not earn their keep. They get very hungry though and we have to feed them. They cannot scratch enough feed in their run. So several weeks ago we heard about a place that would do the 'deed'. It took a while to find where this place was. In fact it was while visiting the place I get beef from that I found about the chicken place.
While I was at the beef place, the farmer told me he had just killed a bull - did I want to see it? Well, not being squeamish & being a farmers daughter there was only one answer - 'of course!'. So there the bull was in all his undignified glory, hind legs hauled high, belly bared and head on the drain. In his mouth was his last mouthful of grass - his last supper. This beast had no idea what was happening as the .22 was put to his head. He had no fear of his impending doom. Which brings me back to our chickens.
We had to get our chickens to the 'processing place' on Wednesday morning. Phil wanted to catch them when it was still dark as they still roost then. Our only means of transporting them was to bag them. An undignified way to travel, but safe. Once at the destination they then had to be put in crates to await there turn(!). Phil was very uncomfortable about the whole proceedings, but was realistic that it had to happen. My thoughts were more convoluted than that. I have a tendency to put human emotion to any situation, be it an animal, book - anything! I worry about the fear that went through the heads & hearts of our chickens. It upsets me - almost enough to not want to eat meat. I say almost, because I enjoy the meat & we were designed to eat meat, but I only wish our chickens could have gone the same way as the bull!

memory sucks!

So, the plan is to create Christmas tree decorations from egg shells. I know sounds a bit kindergarten - ish, but it's all in a good cause. I'm going from memory - easy, just save the shells, boil them so they are clean, spray them gold & silver & put glitter glue to make them fancy. I'll pull a thread through the tops to hang them on the tree.
So what's the problem? 10 years ago there wouldn't have been one, now my fingers can't tie knots, struggle with the thread & needle and seem to be so clumsy with the painted shells they all touch each other. BUT I've done them, they look 'primitive' even childlike but I never suggested we were gong to be making this tree classy!
When I planned this my memory told me how I could do it, my memory fails to accept disability. This is a good thing!

Back home

After my excitement about going west to see my boys - and various friends, I'm home again. I had a most pleasant week seeing who I wanted to and having time to chill. I also had the good understanding that we had done the right thing to move to where we are now.
Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the easy access to malls and activity - yea for Ikea and their $1 breakfasts! But I enjoy more the tranquility of where we are now, thus making the sojourn to see my boys all the more exciting allowing me the chance to mall surf once in a blue moon.
I've been home almost 3 weeks and that time has flown as we reopened the cafe on our winter schedule - which makes for long days as it isn't so busy; but we will be open for the winter, and we are picking up bookings for Christmas parties, which is always exciting. It is one of my best pleasures trying to make a pleasant evening for a group of people. It has a certain adrenalin rush - like the cafe when a group enter, but this is a different adrenalin surge. There is an anxiety about food quantities and the hope that it is cooked well - not burnt - and all that good stuff. Once the desserts are served it becomes much calmer in my mind and I can relax.
We had a week of stormy weather - rain that wouldn't go away and then high winds. We were lucky in that we live up on he hill, but many folks suffered with flooding. The winds didn't seem to do too much damage, but I don't like high winds - they scare me.
Family life is back to normal again, now I'm home. The chickens are getting more distinctly separated. We have had the greatest difficulty discerning the genders in some of our birds. Some of the males mature faster than others, I think we are now 'there'. We have a house of girls (with 2 boys) and a house of boys (no girls). We have heard of a place where we can take our unwanted males and they will do the 'deed', leaving us with 'oven ready' chicken. We just have to find out where this place is and make the trip! The girls are safe. Well, I say that. On Sunday we were having our morning coffee when we heard a terrible hullabaloo outside our window - it turned out that a hawk was attacking one of the girl chickens. We chased the hawk off and it sat on the garden composter defying us until Phil threw a stick at it and then the dogs chased it off! This hawk was the same size as the chicken! We thought we only had foxes to worry about for the safety of our feathered family!
Our neighbour up the hill came down & ploughed our vegetable plot - I'm so grateful for him doing this as it is too much to dig by hand. In so doing he has brought another crop of rocks to the surface. We have quite rocky soil, it grows good stuff - as long as you want the crop 'on the rocks'!
Finally, today we attended the funeral of our 'next door' neighbour - about a kilometer away. Poor Ed hadn't been so well over the summer, but he looked quite well on Sunday at church. Funny what a week will bring. We will remember him fondly and always refer the corner to his property as 'Ed's gate'.

Getting ready

It's nearly here, my trip to Vancouver to see my boys!
I have been excited about this trip for several weeks. I dislike traveling, hate flying but unless there is some other way, it's my only option. Furthermore, this is a trip without my Phil; we rarely go anywhere without each other but someone has to stay home and mind the 'family'.
All that aside, I'm still excited. My list of friends phone numbers is along with my itinerary, my imaginary list of intentions grows as my departure date gets nearer and before I know it.... I'll be heading home!
It's been an odd time here. We have reduced the cafe days to 4/week. Having been well supported by locals I felt it was churlish to close after 'the season', we did Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday and have closed for a 2 week break - hence my opportunity to get away. It feels like the end of term. I've had a big clean in the kitchen, the fridges are gleaming, the ovens have been cleaned and the cupboards tidied, all ready for the reopening.
My days are without focus when I'm not doing the cafe. I like to be busy with a purpose, so now I'm finding myself frittering away and suddenly it's evening!
The cafe is the nearest thing in my life to replace my swimming. The everyday focus, the need to practice and constantly be improving, the discipline, challenges I give myself and the adrenalin rush, it's all there. Who knew there could be found something that would provide all that twice in my lifetime? How lucky can a person be?
Well, I should have some focus in BC for my week there. The break will be a rest and my excitement will have to be endured! I'll try to contain myself.

All is quiet

It was a kind of sad day here as we got rid of several of our 'extra' roosters. I had advertised then as free to a good home but no-one seemed interested. It becomes expensive to have 8 or 10 young roosters who will never lay any eggs, but require to be fed. Least the girls will give some eggs and help support themselves. Another thing that the roosters do is crow! They start at slight dawn - as soon as it isn't dark, and they crow ALL DAY LONG! Now, we don't mind this, but when we have visitors who come especially those who come for B&B, the crowing is noticed. Some like it as it reminds them we are in the country, but I'm not so sure about those who are trying to sleep! Anyway, problem solved. They have left the premises to be done with how ever. I don't need nor want to know the details. I just feel sad as we knew them all as little fluffies!

call me crazy...........

There is a certain thrill about using a power washer. That thrill is even greater when you are using the power washer on something really dirty - like a chicken house that has been screaming for a spring clean for over 12 months! I just love how the water lifts the dirt so effortlessly, while spraying me with a substantial amount of - well lets call it 'dirt'! It's the perfect task for a hot summers day. The cool spray of the water, and the knowledge that the wash will be dried with the heat in about 24 hours. Heck, I even got my wellies power washed - they needed it too, as I wear them when I'm weed whacking & they get grassed on & it sticks - because that is the other warm weather job I get to do. But, weed whacking, although satisfying in a similar way to power washing is NOT refreshing, even if the cool spray from the power washer is dubious! Both tasks require a well earned shower, which is the perfect end to a satisfying day!

It's hot!

It's too hot to sleep so here I am at my computer where there is a cool spot. I know it's hot everywhere in Canada at the moment, I'm not complaining - just not sleeping!
It's hot for the dogs too & they don't understand that when we shut them indoors it's to help keep them cool. Last night we took them down to the pond for a swim, but that water is a bit murky and I thought about going to the bay with them and we could all swim - the bay water is cccold, but being tired I only thought about it!
This week was our wedding anniversary. It is almost like an a milestone of being in Nova Scotia too, as we moved over here after our wedding. We were contemplating all that we have done since we got here and the list is quite impressive!
I think the best thing we have done is to make this property look so attractive. Phil has done a marvelous job of marking out walking trails, they are inviting and we were trimming back some tree limbs the other day and I was so thrilled to see how pretty it looked. There are quite a few trails now, some in woodland, some are just grassy paths, so it is possible to walk for some time around the property. I think we both feel a pleasure in sharing the property with all who wish to visit. we encourage them to visit the trails - the more feet on the trails, the less weeds!
Another thing we have done is develop our chicken family. We are currently building a new chicken house - well it's more like a palace! This will be the girls dorm, there will be no roosters allowed in this lovely house! The girls are needing a quiet space, and they deserve it! The house is waiting the roof to be put on - we are waiting for the tin to come, then they will go in. Meanwhile we have about 40 youngsters who are going out into a run tomorrow. We are still working on distinguishing gender with them as we only want to keep the girls, so that 40 will be reduced drastically. We give our roosters away. We can't bring ourselves to eat them! We have seen them as babies!
We are now able to have B&B guests, and we are running the Barn as a cafe. That's more for fun though as it wouldn't make much money. I'm loving doing it, but in the month it has been open I have discovered new dexterity problems. So, I just work around them as best I can.

After work we sit out on our deck and marvel at where we are. It feels like we are on holiday as we sit and look at the trees, and the dogs, cats & chickens come and join us. We are in heaven on earth!

Well, after 3 years of working at it we are now a licensed B&B establishment in Nova Scotia. It hasn't exactly been 3 years of hard slog. While I was working it was on the back burner and we were slowly pulling the house together, Phil realized that he didn't feel comfortable doing the B&B himself while I was at work. Now I'm not able to work we have pushed forward with the plan.
Tourism is one of Nova Scotia's main industries but like everything at the moment, it's struggling a bit. But forever the optimist, I believe it will pick up again. With the B&B now able to function and the cafe beginning to flourish our life is moving in a direction which can only be described as an adventure!
The cafe is open 7 days a week as we don't know which day isn't busy (well Mondays look like they may be a closing day). We plan to be open 7 days a week for the summer. Sounds onerous? Not a bit! The adrenalin rush as customers walk through the door is unreal, and then there are calls to reserve tables! Yes, really! The first time we got that call, my first comment was, 'Really?'
I was at my doc today for my regular arthur itis check up & we had the discussion about how although I'm unable to do nursing tasks - I have no grip & recently I've lost the ability to pick up small things with my right thumb & fore finger - I can still cook. There are a few tasks I have difficulty with such as opening bottles & cans, but I have help at hand for those moments. Knowing the progression of my loss of dexterity we both concluded that it is important for me to do things while I still can - and thus be happy! It is taking me time to lose the guilt complex of doing something I enjoy and not working. It's hard to be a nurse when my pain is greater than my patients! Guests are not patients and it won't be my job to worry about their problems, our job is to provide the best comfort and meet those needs.

Ssh, don't tell anyone!

Well, as I'm off work because I can no longer do nursing tasks, I have to do something or I'll go stir crazy. After all, I may have arthritis but I do have a brain and I'm not paraplegic! I'm just challenged with dexterity. So with the view of keeping myself busy and getting the chance to meet people we decided it was a good idea to open the Barn as a Cafe! So last Monday, the Barn cafe officially opened its doors. No fanfare, no grand opening, just a quiet, lets see how it runs opening.
Monday was a pleasant trickle of friends coming in with best wishes and being fed with probably over large portions, but the food was made and it had to be eaten. I was using my coffee urn for coffee, which was working, but we want to serve good, fresh coffee, so Phil managed to borrow a commercial coffee maker which is great & we have ordered one for ourselves.
Tuesday, I felt would be empty of visitors because we had used up our friends good will visits, so I was gaily painting doors & doing some gardening when a car drew up around lunch time & then we got busy & I was home alone! Just as I was beginning to panic, I saw Phils truck come into view - Saint Phil! Saved the day - but a lesson learned, now I am uber prepared for the 'lunchtime rush' - which hasn't really happened - but if it does, I'll be ready!
Phil gets disillusioned with the Cafe as he wants it to be super busy, but as I'm not a professional cook and am doing this as a hobby I feel it could be a bit busier, but I don't want to be run off my feet.
The reality is that the cafe will probably pay for the food purchased to run it, and maybe even for the power to run the stove, but I'm not going to be coining it in big time doing this. I love meeting people, and I enjoy cooking so I have put the two together & have the cafe. Anyone who thinks this is an opportunity to be rich & famous (well not) then I have news for you - its not!
What it is though, is a chance to keep active while I can still do something of value. I have the facility to be able to do this so I can & I am. I may not be able to doing nursing 'stuff' but I can still make muffins!

Learning not to take things for granted

From about 11 years until I was about 15 I had piano lessons. I enjoyed my lessons, my teacher Mrs Carmichael was a large lady, but very kind. I remember I used to come downstairs and practice my pieces before breakfast. It was no chore, I loved doing it. When Mrs Carmichael retired I had to go to another teacher. I didn't like this man, he wasn't the rotund, jolly teacher I was used to, so the excuse that my swimming was getting in the way of my piano lessons was an easy out. As I got older I would tell myself - one day you must go back to piano lessons........
I watch tv and find the program 'Mantracker'. It's everyone's wish to beat Mantracker, the guy on horseback who can hunt you down in the wilds of Canada. I realise that even if I had the chance, I wouldn't be able to beat Mantracker despite the strategies i have devised watching the program.
As I learn to live with the arthritis that I seem to have inherited from my mother, I'm beginning to understand that there are some things that have been put on the back burner for too long, or pipe dreams that have to stay as such. I no longer have the ability to span an octave on the piano, and to be honest, to manage to play a tune using all 10 fingers may be unrealistic. Some of my fingers have minds of their own, are clumsy & will do only what they want to do, and I'm suddenly - and sharply - reminded of my mum who would go 'Oooch, my thooms', and we would roll our eyes, because there was never any thing to see around mums thumbs to give her cause for such an outburst. But hey, I know what she meant! As I try REALLY hard not to ooch in company! And no, there is nothing to see around my thumbs, but man, they can really, really hurt.
I couldn't escape from Mantracker, I'd just be along the road when my hip would start giving me grief. maybe the adrenalin of that might stave off the discomfort there. I can only wonder!
There are lots of wee activities that I would like to be able to do now that are no longer on my agenda. Like doing a cartwheel or a handstand. My wrists would protest, my hands can't flatten out enough to be a support. Maybe in a moment of frustration & with the anticipated adrenalin rush I may just get upside down again. I'll have to plan it though, with painkillers before - and probably after, but what the heck!

New chicks

Well, its that time of year again - chick raising time.
Not wanting as many as we had last year and not wanting the prolonged hatching season I filled the incubator with eggs - 42 eggs. I know that they all won't hatch so taking that into account and then doing the 50/50 thing, I'm guessing we'll get another 12 girls to lay us eggs. Against all odds we hatched 27 chicks. I say 'against all odds' as I was supposed to add water to the incubator at the onset & top it up as the 3 weeks progressed - and I forgot to add any water! Oops, so the fact that we have any chicks is a marvel.
Last year we had a late hatcher who wore the shell on his head for about a week. He never did have tail feathers, we called him Conch. This year I thought we had missed that, because I know chicken breeders don't allow emotion to get into the deal, but we see a heart beat, then we have to help it. I always hate switching off the incubator once the eggs have hatched as some of the eggs that have 'pipped' may still be wanting to hatch. I feel it's akin to switching off life support. I had left the incubator for 24 hours and just before church I emptied the remaining eggs into the compost bin as I needed to get it cleaned for another hatching that we had planned for a neighbour.
Once back from church and working in the yard I heard the compost bin chirping! I checked but there were no chicks in there, just the eggs - and garden waste. But the chirping was incessant, so Phil & I investigated & found the egg it was coming from - which was pipped. So we took it indoors and using a tooth pick, Phil chipped at the shell to allow the chick out. Luckily I had the incubator on & it was up to heat so 'Dumpster' as we have called him, could go & get warm & dry. To date, Dumpster is doing well & it's hard to tell him from the others who arrived independently and almost 24 hours ahead of him.
Oh, the excitement of having chickens hatch!

Last week I was catering and being reminded of my past

Several years ago I worked as a care coordinator in a large care facility for the elderly. I loved the job. I loved the residents. I worked at making the facility the best it could be with the philosophy that one never knows when such a place may be required personally!
I remember walking around the place looking at the residents and wondering who they had been in an earlier life, and making sure I avoided the attitude that they are just old folks. All old folks have a history and that history is usually interesting and often amusing. One day I want to grow up to be an old person!
I wonder what makes us take on the 'old person' attitude. Is it poor health, expectation or is it that when one reaches a certain age there is nothing left to look forward to?
I looked at the age group of 20-40. They are developing their careers and families, they are vital and energetic. The 40 - 60 age group settle into a more comfortable lifestyle. They are looking toward retiring, their families are grown & leaving home, they seem less vital and energetic. The 60-80 age group is becoming tired, they have grandchildren and their focus is more about their health and well being. They have less energy. This obviously is a very broad generalization as there are those who do not fit into the bands I have outlined - and I hope I would be one of them. But my point is that many of us assume that we will need a care facility in our later years and our lives travel along that route, and the bus will stop & we will get on it and it will take us to the Home.
Care homes do tend to have a stigma that I for one plan never to get there. How does one down size their home that they have built up, had their children and lives?And then have to leave that home as health dictates that living there is no longer possible? Some care facilities do not allow personal furnishings in with you. How could anyone continue to be happy?
These questions all surfaced in my head last week as I catered a 3 day class about elder care, and all my thoughts and beliefs returned. I was the 'kitchen staff', but few knew my history, and listening to the classes brought my past memories back. Hearing a poem about an elderly resident who was becoming silent in her care, but wanted her carers to know that she too had a life and it was a wonderful one and now here she was receiving care. So many of the issues that came up 'through the wall' as I was making coffee or washing up brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye as I considered how harsh it can be for elders who have to go 'into care'.
I hope one day I'll be an 'old person' - that is many years away - but it is only a heart beat away in reality. as my journey moves me there, I intend to blow apart my age band theories and live a lively, happy and fulfilling life. My thoughts will be with our elders who require the care in homes, and hope their home is a happy one!

Pictures of 20 years ago

Not being very tech savvy I was unable to post pictures on my last entry. A suggestion by a wise sage has let me cut the necessary tech corner and I am proud to present 2 pictures of 20 years ago.
The first is my 3 companions on Mums patio before we left her house on the way to the airport to fly to Vancouver.
The second picture I was happy to find is of Tom on crossing patrol the first week of Canadian school. He is wearing his school uniform from England under the orange safety gear!
I hope my children don't mind these being posted!

Twenty years ago!

It's twenty years ago that we arrived in Canada - yesterday.
What a lot has happened since that day; my little children have become adults, and they have their own lives with their own dreams.
I came across a picture of the day we left Scotland. There was Hannah clutching her dolly (Big Sister), Elliot with his Indiana Jones hat on & a beaming smile & Tom with his proud chest stuck out & arms out as if to protect his bother & sister. That was a fairly damp day on mums patio.
We had gone to Mums to spend a week there before we left, and in that time Hannah had cultivated a convincing Scottish accent! We left from Prestwick Airport which was new to me as I had only ever left from Glasgow, but transatlantic flights still left from Prestwick 20 years ago.
In preparation for our trip & with our belongings being shipped Tom, Elliot & Hannah were each provided with a backpack which they filled with toys & books. This was to be their supply for the 6 weeks that their other toys would be in transit. I have a giggle every time I think of Hannah with her wee turquoise & pink backpack filled with her stuff which to most wasn't heavy, but for a two year old was enough to pull her over backward. I had to be very wary not to leave her unattended on she would upend! For me it was important that all their toys came with us, but that their special things traveled with them, hence the backpack system.
I think it was a Thursday we arrived & by Monday the boys were at school. Elliot had morphed into the all Canadian 6 year-old, but Tom refused to let go his British past and went to school throughout the rest of his elementary days in his British school uniform. By the end of the first week he was doing crossing patrol which I thought was very daring of the school as we were still looking for traffic coming from the other side before we started to cross the road!
The first few months were pretty difficult as I wasn't working, I had to do my Canadian exams to be able to work, so it wasn't until the 13th of August that I started at UBC hospital. We were living on around $20/week, which was pretty good even then. We hadn't found out all the best places to shop to stretch the $$ but we survived. It was certainly better once I started to work.
Throughout that first year Tom was determined he was NOT going to stay in Canada, he was going back to Britain, so every penny he was given went into that fund. The summer after we arrived in Canada we went back to Britain and spent 5 weeks visiting friends and family. When we got home Tom had decided Canada was fine for him!
The move to Canada has meant that my life has blossomed. I am happy considering Canada home and I am extremely happy that my children were not brought up in Lancashire with the strong northern English accent that reeks of Coronation Street!
Being in Canada has allowed me to find my freedom and enabled me to become more the 'me' I dreamed about. It has given me opportunities I would have struggled to ever dream of in Britain, and I am grateful for all of that. I still have dreams to achieve, but they no longer seem impossible.
I believe the move to Canada has allowed my children to flourish into wonderful people. I doubt the chances they have had here would have been available to them knowing how our life was 'over there'. I also think they have learned skills here to encourage them to make the best of themselves.
I am very, very proud of my children.
I believe 'happiness' is momentary but those many moments lead to the state of contentment. I feel very content!

I have surprised myself and have admitted that I really enjoy the snowy winters here in Nova Scotia.
But once the thaw sets in - well that's a whole different thing. Everything takes on the sad bedraggled look, and cars become the same shade of brown regardless of what colour they were when they were new. The unpaved roads - there are a few - become challenging and slippers just inside the door are a must, unless you really enjoy washing floors!
But all of this is the transition of winter to spring and all will become wonderful again as the grass greens up and my spring bulbs flower & smile at everyone. I hope this is where we are at! Looking at my journals over the past 2 years we have had snow in March. Maybe what we are experiencing at the moment is a reminder that spring will come!
While I enjoy all this I still struggle with my arthritis and gradually over the past month or so my right hip has become an aggravation. I worries me, being in the business so to speak, that this may be the rot setting in and how long that rot has to be before it can be fixed. I'm trying to ignore it as best I can, but driving is one of the worst irritants to the hip. Phil got me a steering wheel cover which helps with the hands as it makes the wheel that much thicker to hold - and warmer, but I don't think there is such a beast for the hip! I just carry on & stop when it gets too much.

Winter in Nova Scotia

So, when we decided to move to Nova Scotia all our friends gave us the dire warning that they have winters there y'know. The fact that Nova Scotia has winters, rather than put us off, excited us as moving from the Lower Mainland in BC we were getting tired of the 2 seasons there - wet & dry. What we didn't have for winter was winter attire, something that we really didn't need in BC. This is our third winter in Nova Scotia now and I think we could happily say we are kitted out for whatever winter throws at us.
The first winter we were here we didn't have suitable boots (wellies don't do when its so cold), or hats. So for Christmas on our second winter we each got snow boots and snow shoes - not to be confused with one another! The boots have almost become a second pair of slippers as they get slipped on as soon as the notion to go out crosses our minds. Toward the end of last winter Philly bought this awesome aviator style winter hat which cocoons your head & keeps it blissfully warm, so for a birthday request I asked for one (red). So there we are all dressed up nice & warm and it only took 3 winters - or 2 1/2!
Our final acknowledgment to winter was to purchase an ATV with a snow plow attachment. Hand digging out our long drive was getting very old very fast. I was going to plow the drive myself today - usually Phil does it, but the battery is flat & I can't get at it to jump it - feeble as I am, so Phil will have to do it when he gets home - or jump the battery, I have to try & use the plow, it's not just for Phil to do.
It has snowed now for a few days - no great amounts, just enough to make the drive need plowing. I surprise myself & quite love Nova Scotia winters! This picture shows how long our drive is & hopefully you will appreciate hand digging snow isn't an option!

January 3rd 2010

Yesterday we had an amazing amount of snow. I don't think I have witnessed this amount of snow in one day before. I was supposed to get to work, but there was no way I could get out. The drive was full of snow and each time we cleared any part around the house, it filled up again as if we hadn't been there.
Today I had to go to work again, but as it rained slightly last night & the temperature had risen we thought it would be a simpler job. No chance. Because of the changes the snow was more solid and heavier to move. And it didn't seem as if it had reduced by any great amount.
Phil started plowing early and it took ages just to make an impression on the drive. Then we heard the snow plough come up the road & it did sound as if it was moving a lot of stuff. Had the plough not been up our road & we got cleared to our gate, we still could not have got out! It looks like we have luge runs every where with the snow walls on each path!
One thing we have noticed, when the snow has this amount of 'moisture' in it there is a blueness to the vastness of it. If we look into a crease in the snow it shows a delicate blue colour. But there has to be a lot of it to show this - and we have a lot of it.
The picture shows the snow at our door about 10.30 last night.