First Snow
8November 21, 2016 by Jean
I admit to being caught off guard by our first snow of the season. I blame sports. I usually get my weather forecasts from the 6 p.m. local news; but on weekends, the evening news is often preempted by sports coverage (this weekend, football and auto racing). I hadn’t seen a decent weather report since Friday, and this snow wasn’t in the forecast then. So I wasn’t prepared to see the first flakes falling as I got into bed last night or the ground coated with white this morning.
I’m not ready! I still have a little bit of firewood in the driveway. The patio furniture hasn’t been put away in the basement yet, and the screened gazebo on the back deck has not yet been taken down. I need to harvest the last of my parsley, sage, and rosemary (not thyme, though 
) and bring outdoor plant containers into the basement. And I’m not the only one caught off guard. This aster, growing in a protected spot by the foundation, is still blooming. 
Fortunately, this isn’t a serious snow. It wasn’t enough to require plowing, and it will melt in the next day or two as temperatures get above freezing and the sun comes out. And since the ground isn’t frozen yet, the wet snow is providing a nice boost of additional moisture for newly-planted shrubs. This is more of a warning, for both me and the aster: Time to finish getting ready for winter!
While I wait for the weather to clear so that I can get outside to work on those chores, I’m enjoying the beauty of our suddenly wintry world.
Stepping Into The Future 
I love your photos, especially the last one! We got our first snow too and it hung around four days before it melted. My lawn care guy is supposed to come tomorrow to finish up pruning trees and scrubs. I told him I was afraid it will damage them this late in the season and wanted him to wait until spring, but he claims it won’t. You have your work cut out for you over the next week. I hope you get through your list before the next snow comes.
Jean, I’m still trying to find someone to clean my gutters. I hate it when these guys never return calls.
Here, the guys you have to call to get gutters cleaner out are the same ones who power wash houses and decks.
I found someone. They also clean windows. They’re coming day after tomorrow and are less expensive than the folks I had do it last year. One more thing I can check off my list.
Lucky you! I think I saw about five flakes here in Gettysburg on Sunday.
Were those 5 flakes enough to make the Gburg school district call of school on Monday? (I remember your wisecracks about “the dreaded snow potential” when you had school-aged children.) 😉
Hi..I’m new to your blogs and enjoying them.
so far. I found you through EO forum.
Jo
Welcome to my blog, Jo. The Elder Orphans forum has been an incredible source of blog traffic.