First Lake Effect snow of the year

We had our first lake effect snow this week in Erie.  It actually wasn't too bad in accumulation of snow; we got about 10 inches, but it was mostly bad because of the wind.  It was blowing the snow everywhere, which made it hard to see and especially drive.  At points during the day, we weren't able to see across the street to our neighbor's house.

The wind also made for some interesting snow piles.  We had a drift hanging over our front porch which seemed very much against everything I know about gravity.  When Brandon opened the garage that morning, we had a snow wall that stayed perfectly intact where the garage door had been.

Of course, it always looks so beautiful when the snow first falls.  It looked especially pretty since the wind had blown the snow onto tree trunks and the mailbox stand; things that don't normally get to "hold" snow.  But with snow also comes the task of shoveling...and that my friends, is left to the man of the house.  Poor Brandon, he has a long winter ahead of him.  I'm fairly certain he is asking Santa for a kind winter.