Where in the world are Emily and Gideon?: We get snow out here too... so there.

So, I got an email this morning from my Aunt Donna out on the east coast, who, with a detectable note of exasperation explained that it has snowed every day of the new year in Pittsburgh. I have heard all of the gory details of the hours upon hours spent shoveling the multiple feet of snow from the driveway by my folks in Lexington, VA. Oh, and how my poor mom in PA had to rearrange the garage after work one night this week so she could squeeze the car inside to avoid scraping the snow off each morning. And, darn you all in Washington, D.C. getting "the greatest snowfall of the century" or something like that. And I'm sure my pals in New Hampshire are just buried until May under the fluffy white stuff.
No, I'm not bitter out here in sunny California. Actually, yes I am. I LOVE snow. I love the cleansing affect it has on the landscape; the hush it brings to a city like Washington. I live to romp in the snow, and of course, to ski. And I love snow days. Even when I'm not teaching.
At the moment it is pouring down rain on the tin roof above my head. The first few nights of rain-on-the-tin-roof was kind of romantic and quaint. Not so much anymore. Now it's pretty much just loud. But, it's okay. I really shouldn't complain because we DO get snow out here... perhaps the same kind of "snow" they recently got in Disney World, but still, it DID snow out here last month.
Snow in this area is a pretty big deal, so we all bundled up (especially Shelby, the dog who loves any excuse to wear her plaid doggy jacket), and set out for a walk in the snow up on The Hill. Here's a photo journey of our romp.
BONUS: We got a photo of our adventure in the paper. It's the group photo just below. Here's a link to the article: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091207/NEWS/912079998