Black-capped Chickadee

 I was still asleep when Whip gave her "Intruder Alert!  Intruder Alert!" bark.  The shades in my bedroom were backlit from the motion detectors going off  and I could see the movement of shadows against them.  Was putting on clothes when I heard the crunch of snow.  Oh!  Must be the plow guy cleaning out my driveway after yesterday's snow.  I padded to the foyer and thanked Whip for her warning.  We went out for our morning constitutional after the plow guy left.  Pre sunrise in winter is breathtaking (in more ways than one) in the Northwoods.   Not that I'm complaining but I wondered why the plow guy had come so early?  He also drives school bus and usually passes my place in the school bus within the next half hour.  That would be cutting it pretty short if he still had to go into town and warm up the bus. The lights on the ski hill were blazing bright.  In the mornings the owners have been making snow/grooming and every night the lights have been on.  Of course!  This is the week between Christmas and New Years!  The ski hill usually is open only over weekends but this week stays open every night because the kids aren't in school!  No school!  I stopped to admire the faint colors blooming on the horizon while Whip nosed around to see what had been unearthed by the plow guy.  That was a lot of 'AHA!' thinking for so early in the morning.  Hopefully breakfast would be a no-brainer.