Winter in the Ozarks

We didn't get the 10-12 inches of snow that many feared and so rushed to the stores for bread and milk. We did get a measurable amount of snow - around 6" here in Highlandville, MO. Today's high temp will be a few degrees above freezing and I imagine there will be a slight melt before everything refreezes when the temperature drops tonight. 

I'm retired and I don't need to go anywhere, but I should probably get out at some point today and shovel the walkway and the driveway just to feel like I've accomplished something. Of course "should probably" and "will probably" are different things and I may just admire the undisturbed snow in the driveway until I have to go somewhere (tomorrow evening) and disturb it. 
It looks like the daytime highs will be above freezing for the next few days, but by mid-week next week we won't top the freezing mark for several consecutive days. 

I had some good visits at the hospital yesterday as a part of the chaplain service at Mercy Aurora. One thing that is a constant from the patients there are the comments about the excellent care they receive from the nurses. They really do brag on the nurses and how well they care for the patients. 
I was able to sit and talk with several patients yesterday and came away feeling good about having been there. I also had the chance to sit and converse with our lead chaplain. He's an old friend and I really do enjoy the few opportunities that we have to sit and talk for a bit.
I'm glad that was all done before the grey skies and light rain turned to the snow that lasted throughout the night and left us covered with snow today. I am happy to stay home and not mess with the winter mess. In actuality, today isn't going to be much different than any other day in the life of this retired guy - except for maybe that snow shoveling thing.

And while we are ankle-deep in snow, my Aussie family is celebrating Australia Day in their summer heat. Maybe they'll want to trade. Happy Australia Day!

John

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