Here in Sturtevant we ONLY got 11", according to the 10:00 news last night, but it kept (lake effect) snowing for a couple hours after that, so pro'bly 13". That's NOTHING compared to you folks north of us that got 20+"!

My place of work was closed yesterday, so I got to stay home and shovel 5 times. This morning I get to shovel again before going to work. Many roads are still packed w/snow, making for slippery conditions.

Were any of you caught in that 500-car back-up on I-90?

Take care of your backs and take it easy shoveling out today, everyone!

Julie

I think the grand total was around 12 or 13 inches. And of course they predicted something like 6-9. Spring is never actually coming.

I took a vacation day and we even managed to get the dogs (huskies) to the dog park. THEY loved it! :) It was pretty anyway, even if I'm really tired of winter.

I am one of those wierd people who really love storms. So I was in hog heaven. My only concern was books to read, so I made a library run on Tuesday, then ran to the drugstore for my meds. I totally Love, love natures bounty. and went out several times with my little dog. We were just enjoying the storm.

Anyway, I never worry, in my last 40 years, I cant remember a single time when we couldn't get out after about a day. I don't understand what all the fuss is about. Yeah, snow days!! Love it. Pondy

Only got stuck 5 times on the way home from work.
But, I did make it home & thats better than some.
That thing on I90 is odd. Never heard of that before.

My only concern was books to read, so I made a library run on Tuesday, then ran to the drugstore for my meds. I totally Love, love natures bounty. and went out several times with my little dog. We were just enjoying the storm.

If I may ask, what meds are you on? I think I would like some of those ;-)

Pondwelr, since I could stay home from work, I didn't mind the storm. But in the 39 yrs I've worked, I've had some really bad ones to drive thru. One year it took me 2 hrs to get to work when normally it was a 30 min. drive. I work 2nd shift so it wasn't rush hour and on top of that, I'm going into town not out of it. I had to go to the bathroom so bad at that time, I would have knocked down anyone that had gotten in my way once I got to work. Years ago, they were happy you made it in...even if you were an hour late. Now they tell you to make sure you leave early enough so you get to work on time. This time a lady asked what if the buses stop running? The boss said make other arrangements to get here...take a cab or get someone to drive you. They don't care, so guess what....I don't care. If I didn't have that day off, I would have just called in and not felt the least bit guilty. Where my hubby works, they said that anyone who didn't come in, it would be an excused absence. They didn't get paid, but it was excused, not a sick day that could be held against them. At least some companies care about their employees.
Sorry about the rant. But the way my boss talked today really got to me. When my company found out the buses were going to stop running, they told management that the employees were to go home. My boss was mad because the bus riders didn't stay and make other arrangements to go home. The few that drove also went home. When the buses stop running, it is really bad.

Kat

16 inches total here in Sheboygan. I think we got some lake-effect in addition to the actual storm, because there was a big wind off of the lake. Forget work, I took a "work at home" day. And went out at around 7pm to dig out. There was a 3 ft high drift right across the back sidewalk. And now we're getting dangerously cold weather for the weekend. Damn, I just can't wait for spring!

Mike

We got about a foot in Union Grove. Drove thru some whiteout conditions on Wednesday afternoon on Hwy. C. I'd be happy to not ever do that again. Next time, I'm calling in sick for the whole day instead of going in for the morning. Unfortunately for me, I work in Illinois.
The drive to work Thursday morning was fine until I hit the state line. Go figure. FIB's!

Hey All,

I profited from the snow. I plow out a condo association in Madison. 18 1/2 hours in a skid steer isn't fun but it pays out the wahzoo. The worst of it was that I had to drive into Madison around 4pm. Some moron in a Mercedes passed me like I was standing still on 12 and I was going too fast at 45 mph. Kinda wishing to see him tailspin into the ditch...is that wrong?

It's kinda funny. When I took this part time job, my wife was a bit iffy on it. I reassured her it wouldn't be all that bad and that I'd pry push snow 3 or 4 times this winter. Sure made a liar outta me!

On the home front, I blew out my drive way twice at about 6 inches each time(my blower is kinda junky and I need to keep ahead of deep snowfalls) and pushed another inch when I got home. That makes the unofficial total 13 inches in Lodi

Glad everyone made it thru that storm ok. Now we have an arctic front coming in Sunday. At least all my plants are covered with a lot of snow to keep them safe. I will be staying in all day.
Stay safe and warm!

Kat

Here are some interesting numbers reguarding the year to date (Feb 6) snow totals in WI put up by a TV station in Eau Claire.

Madison: 73.6" (wowsers, that's 41" above average through this date!!)
Milwaukee: 64.3" (this would be impressive if it weren't for the capital city taking all the glory)
Green Bay: 57.3" (many remember the game against Seattle, so this makes sense)
La Crosse: 46.9" (okay, this is a bit more normal for early February)
Eau Claire: 35.4" (as is often the case, we are bringing up the rear on this list. Still, we are in good shape)

We had 13.7 inches here in Racine. I don't mind the shoveling as much as figuring out where to put the stuff! And we are supposed to get some more snow starting tonight, 3 to 5 inches, not bad. But I am running out of places to deposit it. I live on a corner lot and there isn't much of a lawn in front of the house. Just about 3 feet of grass between the sidewalk and the bushes around the foundation.

The strip between the street and the sidewalk is pretty high plus with this freezing cold it is hard so the snow that I try to put up there will most likely just slide off. I might have to put the snow in a toboggan and move it around the corner and put it on my side lawn which has a little bit of room.

The worst thing of all is that my street is usually plowed after I finish shoveling and that $%^* plow always dumps a mess in the end of my driveway! They swerve around my neighbor's car (who parks in the street) and when they come back over to the side of the road they always push a bunch of snow into my driveway before they straighten out. I asked my neighbor to park on the other side of my driveway but he must have forgot. So I saw him the other day parking his car and explained again and he said he would do it the next time it snowed. I guess I'll have to hope he remembers tonight. Wish me luck.

I have an red Amaryllis blooming right now and it is very inspiring to see that in front of the window before my gaze travels past it and sees all of that white snow everywhere. Don't you wish you were like those bears and other animals who hibernate through winter? I know I wish I could just sleep through it all!

Kim

I have the same problem, where to go with all of it?? Here in Madison they're predicting that we'll break (ok, smash) the record for the snowiest winter. It just keeps coming and coming. On the good news front, I read that meteorologists consider March 1st the first day of spring. I'm going to start doing that too.

I'm glad you have an amaryllis to keep you company! I have a few daffodils and some hyacinth coming up (in a jar, not outside of course!). The bulbs help my cabin fever a little.

I see Madison broke the record with Tuesday's snow. Sorry, but it still doesn't come close to Milwaukee's record of 109 point something. That was back in the winter of 85/86. As of 6pm Tuesday, Mitchell airport has a seaonal snowfall of 74.6" and it was still snowing for at least a couple of hours after that. I believe this winter will be in the top 10 for snowfall in Milwaukee. 10th place has 79 point something. So we shouldn't have a problem with beating that! LOL!
Kim, I don't think I'd want to sleep thru the winter, but I sure wouldn't mind not having to go to work in this mess. I don't have any plants blooming inside. I just have African Violets that bloom, but right now their taking a break.
Turquoise and Kim, the snowbanks are getting so high here too. I have 6 rugosas by our driveway, but I didn't put them too close so they don't get squashed by snow from the driveway. Only the tops are showing right now.
Now I hear there's a snow advisory for the central and northern parts of Wis. Hope they make it thru ok.

Kat

To justaguy, the meds I went after are only rat poison, otherwise known as Warfarin, and a beta blocker. No funny stuff. I have no excuse for the unusual enthusiasm towards storms. Only that I've always loved them since I was a child. In fact, I used to wake my little kids and have them view the heat lightning and other types of storms. Now they are all enthuiasts too.

Kat, I sure remember the nights trying to get home on unplowed roads. I worked for the city(library) and it was like pulling teeth to get them to close due to bad weather.
White-knuckeling it home with the bottom of the car scraping the snow. disliked that, but, oh well.

I really am NOT a pollyanna, but even then,When I worked full time, I had to bundle up and walk in the sparkling snow lit by either sun or moon after I got home.
I mean, we live in Wisconsin! We must find ways to appreciate the beauty. Plus you have to know that this heavy snowfall will be beneficial in many ways. Know that someday most other states will be pestering us for our most precious resource....WATER.
Think about it. Pondy

I agree with Pondy - got to find a way to be outdoors and find the beauty in it, although it gets increasingly tedious! I have been doing yoga to be strong enough to lift the snow over my head. My ex keeps needling me that I kicked him out in the wrong season - ha! I've never been in such good shape. I try to notice things like the new strength of the sun, the squirrels tearing around in the trees, the birds, etc. I even bought snowshoes. I have a large planter that I stored some pine boughs on (snow made them irrelevant), well now there are some unknown creatures that have made it a home, and bleeding heart that I am, I started feeding them Rice Chex when it was really cold. I stood in the pet food aisle at Woodmans for 10 minutes contemplating the "critter mix" and thinking I was insane for feeding these animals which are probably going to be the bane of my garden in summer. But I ended up buying a bag anyway.

mgmb, I had to laugh, I've been throwing dried corn cobs out for my squirrels. My friend is a wildlife rehabber so she released a box of squirrels into my yard a few years ago. I keep them well fed. They're chubby, and I joke that they're the size of small cats. When I shovel, they peek out of the box and watch me. They're really cuties.

I agree Pondy and mgmb, it really helps to find ways to get outside and enjoy winter. I am a southern transplant but have been here a few years. The first couple of years I had no idea how to dress or what to do, so I felt like I was suffering just waiting for spring. The past couple of years I have bought good warm outdoor clothing (gear) and have taken up snowshoeing. I have even camped with snow on the ground. I do have my seed and garden books sitting by my chair and dream of spring, but the winters aren't seeming near as long.

Proud of you Birdi! I wish I had hung onto my showshoes. Now I make due with my Sorrel boots and wollen Wigwam socks.

Hey Mgmb and turquois, I wonder about this huge fat squirrel that visits my bird feeders. He is grey on top and red underneath. So beautiful and lush. Is this a new breed? Pondy

I wonder if he is a hybrid! Usually the fatter ones that I see are all gray, and I have lately seen some smaller reds, tearing around in the trees in a snowstorm. I still have the skeleton of my xmas tree (with stubs of branches that I cut off for mulch). I was thinking of stuffing some pine cones with peanut butter and rolling them in seeds and hanging them on the skeleton tree outside. The problem is I would need hip waders to get up into the yard at this point! I am hearing lots of cardinals, even on the coldest mornings. Very cheerful sound!

Talk about spring fever...

My husband travels for business, so I'm the lucky one to do the shoveling and snowblowing when he's out of town. I don't mind that so much - it's a good workout (well, the shoveling part, that is) - but the worst part is my chihuahuas HATE this weather, and I have such a hard time getting them to go outside to do thier business! Poor little things...I have to bundle them in a sweater and a jacket (not for style, honestly, it's just to keep them warm), and those little boots just don't stay on their feet. Within a few minutes they're limping around because the cold is just too much for their little paws.

We went out and purchased a dogloo (igloo) for them - something to help protect them from the winds, but I don't know if they'll go to the bathroom in it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Spring couldn't arrive fast enough.