I really would prefer...

...for the cold to have waited a bit longer.

We had SNOW yesterday.  More than predicted.  Initial prediction was a dusting to an inch.  That kept creeping up.  The prediction Saturday night was that we'd get 2-4", and that it wouldn't stick.  It was also predicted that we'd get light snow, just that it'd be wet and heavy and big flakes.

Woke up yesterday morning to HEAVY snow.  Small flakes.  Coming down fast, occasionally sideways, and fast and thick enough to build up.  Yeah, the ground was warm enough (at first) that it was melting from underneath, but we still had more than 2" accumulate.  And stick. 

The town got, overall, around 4"+.  Some parts got 6" or more.

The kids didn't have school.

Today, we woke up to low teens.  I let the dog out at 6:25, checked to see if the kids' school would be starting on time (there were a few in the area that started late because of melt and refreeze on the roads), then got the kids up and breakfast started.  I had the imp feed the dog inside (no, she didn't eat all of her breakfast), then let her out for a poo break when I ran the kids in to school.  Figured I'd get her back in right after I got home.

The imp's car door (rear passenger) was frozen shut.  I had trouble yanking it open, and only managed what the imp failed to do because I was able to stand on the far side of the ice patch right below the car and yank hard.

The car's dash thermometer read 17 degrees when we left.

It takes about 10-15 minutes, depending on traffic, to get the kids in to school, let off at the gym entrance, then get home.  It was the long end this morning, because I didn't want to risk a loss of traction when I was trying to get into a normal sized gap of traffic.

And the dog...wasn't ready to come in.  Usually, when I ask if she wants in, she nopes over to the far corner of the yard and dances by the gate, as far from the back door as she can get. 

Not this morning.  There's still a solid 2" of snow in the back yard, with a crust of ice over the top where we got freezing fog yesterday evening.

The dog dashed over to the opposite corner of the patio, and danced. 

I gave her ten more minutes while I did a couple things, then tried again.  She was willing to come in, that time, but only stayed in the house for about an hour.

Yes, I have since tried to get her in the house.  No, she has not been willing to come in.  She hasn't even stayed on the patio, on the straw bale or her insulated bed out of the wind.  Instead, she's been making snow-plow circuits* of the yard, barking at everything.  No, it isn't yet above freezing.  It's not supposed to get above freezing today.

We're still running the heat pump.  With as high-efficiency plug-in heaters as we can get to supplement.  Because the propane company's due out on Thursday to tell us what size tank we'll need for a 30,000 BTU heater that's going in the fireplace early next month.

So, yeah, I'd prefer for the global warming to take a break and let us get back to the normal-for-the-area 40s and 50s for early/mid November.  This shit's not supposed to hit us in SW MO until late December/January.

*Scotty-dog snow-plow: bury nose under snow until it's touching the ground, then run around like a maniac, flinging snow in all directions.