I originally posted this back in July or August when some of the OS family were dying of heat prostration.  Now  it looks exactly like this outside  (we got about 2 1/2 feet last night) and I thought it would be a good time to share it again.  I will be enlarging the tunnel from the front door to the garage in a few days so I'll take more pictures then. 

See, Deven?  Now THIS is SNOW!

OK.  It's the weekend.  In the interest of keeping things light, especially for those of you in torrid and humid climates (e.g./exempli gratia  Virginia, where I used to go with my ex every year to celebrate the Humidity Festival) I thought I'd share a few "cool" views of my abode in winter.  Consider this a public service for those of you in Virginia (and elsewhere) from beautiful Lake Tahoe, where we die of heat exhaustion if the temperature goes over 85. 

As I've mentioned before, we have two seasons up here in the mountains: Winter and August, or, if you prefer, Winter and Roadwork. Since it's now August, that means Winter is right around the corner! These pictures were taken last January after another of the many intense storms we had this past winter.  It's not unsual to have storms in Tahoe that drop 3 or 4 feet of snow, followed by a glorious blue sky and insane amounts of snow clearing work to be done. 

Living full time at Tahoe in the winter is not for sissies. 

Here are the tools of the trade at my house:

 Clearing a path to/from the front door is the first order of business.  Although I live in a condo complex that purports to have snow removal service, more often than not, *I* am the snow removal service.

 Have you ever wondered (in all that spare time you have) about the actual mechanics behind the formation of glaciers?  I really hadn't, but this past winter gave me great insight into the process as one formed on my very own roof!

 The snow gives even the dumpster enclosure a fairytale beauty.  Or not.  Really, now that I think about it, it's just a dumpster in disguise.  Not pretty, but VERY attractive to bears.  And, contrary to popular lore, bears DO wake up during the winter. Upon waking, they realize they are just famished (kind of like me when I wake up at 3 AM)  and head right straight to their favorite diner - the dumpster.  (I try to avoid the dumpster at 3 AM, but the kitchen is right up the stairs!) Bears also love the freezer in my garage, which has been raided so many times I can no longer use it because the door hinges are sprung.  And the mess!  You'd think they'd at least pick up all the wrappers they leave behind!

Regardless of how much it snows, there is one member of our household (not counting my son who hightails it to the slopes to go boarding rather than help shovel) who just loves it.  Her Royal Boopness is in heaven.

 Here's hoping YOU find a place to cool off this weekend!