1 DEC 2006 - 2205 CST A famous Chicago weather forecaster (brother of a convicted Enron officer) has been telling us on the TV that today is the start of meteorological winter. So winter has arrived here in a big way. Apparently, the forecast was fairly accurate, but the wind has moved the snow around so much that it's really hard to tell how much fell in my yard. The best way to tell what happened is as follows... Last year, I fueled my snow thrower at the first snow and drained about a quarter tank at the end of the season. This year, I filled the tank yesterday afternoon. This morning, I had to refuel to finish the job. Luckily, all the East Coast will get this time around is rain. The low center that created this big mess is already in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. - Dick, W9GIG