While unwanted, it's beauty can't be denied.

Blizzard-effect snow, as seen through the newly installed window, overlooking the deck.

The snows came yesterday... and fairly harshly.
While not the first snowfall of the season,
(we had snowfall in October again this year - the 21st, if I recall,)
it was the first that gave actual lasting accumulation or any warning claxons from the weather reports.

Winds whipping through the treetops brought forth bitter, unseasonable cold.

My wife and I had to set up new shelters for the outdoor cats. Luckily, we got them done the day before, prior to the weather changing for the worse.
You can see, in the photo, where my wife has cleared off snow from the corner of the railings and bench, because that's where the outdoor cats like to sit and look out over the propery, and she didn't want them sitting in snow.

Added to the mix was sleet and ice. Just enough to make walking outside treacherous.
There's too much ice for using the shovel and, unfortunately, the accumulation isn't enough to allow use of the snowblower.
Having a gravel driveway means that snow needs to be at least 4 to 6 inches or so for it to be functional (without throwing stones all over the place and damaging the 'blades').

We've learned from past experience here that it's best to leave the car at the far end of the driveway, where it meets the road, and then just clear the snow out from in front of it.
We'll clear a path from the house to the end of the drive, just wide enough to walk.

Frequently, we'll resort to using a big green plastic toboggan to shuttle groceries and such back to the house.

Whether for good or ill, the newly fallen snow has covered over the thick bed of leaves that I have yet to rake away. That provided a nice crunchy base to (slightly) counter the slickness of the ice. If walking through areas where the ice is shallow and easily penetrated by footfall, then walking is a (noisy, but) fairly safe endeavor.

I keep meaning to actually get an accurate measurement of the driveway, but it is easily over a football field in length (including end-zones). That estimate is only "as the crow flies", however, since it's not a straight path, instead twisting, bending and serpentining back and forth through the trees.

I can only hope that this winter isn't going to be too loose with the ice and snow.
Years' past have been bad enough, and with everything that's been going on lately, we're just not up to it this year.