The storm has been raging on and off all afternoon, it’s supposed to ebb and flow until Tuesday morning, weather predictions of snow amount range from eight to 22 inches.

Every couple of hours, we go out to shove off the back porch, brush off the cars, and dig paths to the pasture and out to the feeders for the animals.

We also dig a path to the garbage cans in the back. The chickens are holed up in the roost for the duration.

Bud broke precedent and actually took a dump outside in the snow, much better than his habit of refusing to eliminate outside and going instead in the bathroom.

Out in the pasture, I stood back because  I knew Maria would be highlighted by the outdoor lights and she was. I processed this photo in one of my new photo-editing programs.

As I took the photo, the storm receded briefly, clearing out the yard and the sky. It’s snowing again now. I think this was my last trip out tonight, I’ve brushed off the car three times, shoveled the back porch twice and my body and heart are suggesting I take it easy.

I can take a hint. You do what you can do, then you stop. There are no living heroes in the land of heart disease.

I love the photo though.

Tonight, we’re eating some breast of chicken we got at the farmer’s market earlier in the morning. And reading and sleeping. Maria will probably go out a couple more times to keep up with the storm.

Neither of us wants to face 21 inches of shoveling tomorrow, if it comes to that.