Here in Iowa we've had a bit of nasty weather lately. Nancy worked from
home yesterday, and around 3:30 she called me at work to tell me that our
driveway was nearly impassable. I left work early, and we worked together
to shovel the snow and ice off the driveway (we've got to get a snow
blower one of these days). After our driveway was done I started on the
elderly neighbor's driveway while Nancy did our front sidewalk.

Once we were done there Nancy went into the back yard to shovel the walk
between the house and the garage. She left the back door open for kitties,
but only Ranger chose to come out with her. While Nancy shoveled snow and
chipped ice, Ranger sniffed around the base of the fence and the tree and
generally enjoyed himself.

I came out a few minutes later to chip away at some of the heavier ice.
When I came out Ranger was walking around the areas where we used to have
exposed soil. He would take a few steps, paw at the ground, then cry.
Step, paw, cry. Step, paw, cry. I finally figured out that he was trying
to find some dirt that he could use as an outdoor litter box. I told him
that he was out of luck, the entire yard had 3-4 inches of snow over 1/2'
to an inch of ice. He finally went around the corner (even kitties want
some privacy), did what he needed to do, then scratched some snow over the
top. He then had a major case of the snow zoomies, running all over the
yard. I finished my ice chipping about that time, so the Big Snow Cat
followed me back into the house.

I guess being a Big Snow Cat takes a lot out of a kitty. After I finished
taking off my winter gear and went into the living room I found that he
had curled up in my favorite rocking chair, right in the middle of the two
blankets I use to keep comfortable. I settled in on the futon and let him
sleep.