eight inches of lake effect.

We got quite a few inches of lake effect last night and today. It is 12:30 PM and there a still a few fluttering flakes coming down. Some time early this morning a good neighbor cleared my walks and driveway. When I arose, they were covered again. I said to myself that I would wait until the snow stopped then go out and remove the residue. Just after I finished breakfast I could hear a snow blower and a shovel working in front of our place again. We were able to identify the good Samaritan this time. One of our neighbors is a landscape contractor, and he had a couple of his people out doing my driveway and walks. How kind of him. I am sure he pays his crew good wages. Maybe he was trying to keep them busy, so that they would still be with him when he needs them. Television weather reports this morning said that the Tooele area was getting most of the precipitation, and they labeled it as lake effect. I called Phil this morning and he said they were hard pressed to say that they had an inch of snow. I have decided to call our amount "eight inches." It could be more or less, but this is close enough for my purposes, whatever they are.

Clarine has been on prednizone for three days. I think we can finally say that something is bringing her some relief and helping her to breathe much easier. Though she is still not totally better, and she has a broken foot which we have sort of forgotten about in the turmoil of respiratory woes, I feel brighter about the prospects. I think she is still planning to put out a spread on Christmas Day. She is one hardy trooper. I guess I will never truly know how much she suffered over the last ten days - struggling for breath. She goes to the podiatrist on Monday for him to look at her foot to see how it is progressing. She hasn't liked wearing the stabilizing boot that she was given because it is uncomfortable, so at times she has gone "foot loose and fancy free." She promises me that she will be "very careful." She certainly doesn't need the set- back of having her fracture crack open again.

Diane says she is driving up from Tacna on December 24th and will grace us with her presence until 5 January 2008. (It is going to be a test once again to get used to writing a new year whenever dates are to be posted.) I think Marie and Ken have accepted the responsibility for her cat, Coyote, while she is gone. Diane fears my garage is too cold for an Arizona cat, and I am too tired to clean white cat hairs from the furnishings inside of the house, so it is best that the cat can stay in Arizona.

We wish for all a very wonderful Christmas and that the year, 2008, will be good to all of us. I will likely blog again before those holidays actually get here, but in case a siege of laziness comes upon me I will have offered my greetings. gwh (The sun is starting to come out. The lake effect is done for this time.)