Stopped. Watched.

Over 24 hours since the snow started and it’s still coming down. [video]

Snowmobile going up Spring Street about 10 minutes ago.

Shoveled again! [photo]

Six young adults packing snow into refrigerator drawers and spritzing with water to create snow bricks for an ambitious family-sized igloo.  Still working into the night, they hope to finish the domed roof on Monday.

Small snowmen stand guard along the porch railing of an Old West Side house. [photo]

Storm drain. Distinct gentle rhythmic snoring from within. Raccoon staying warm.

Two folks have cleared a spot on river and are making huge geometric snowballs. [photo]

The snow is as high as a composter’s eye (well, a small composter). [photo]

Post-break changes evident at city hall include shuffling around of some services due to asbestos abatement activities. For example, parking referees are now temporarily located on the second floor. [photo 1] [photo 2] Also the men’s room is completely renovated. [photo 3]

Sidewalk snow removal scorecard: city of Ann Arbor for city hall and Republic Parking for adjoining public parking facilities get top marks. Everyone else is currently falling a short of a reasonable standard. Even the Main Street BIZ district looks pretty awful.

Dog sled strapped to roof of vehicle. [photo]

Lost glove on sidewalk. [photo]

Lost glove accumulating a covering of snow. [photo]

Last night around 7 p.m. I saw at least a dozen Maple Leaf fans all trudging through the unshoveled sidewalks along Plymouth Road looking very tired. I stopped to offer a ride to two of them and learned that the driver of their “promised bus” back to the Park N Ride at Plymouth and US-23 had told them (as they were dropped off at Michigan Stadium) that they would NOT be getting a ride back. Having no other options, they decided to walk. I gave them a ride and then went back and picked up two others because it was just so horrible out.

Eastbound traffic slogging through the snow backed up in continuous line at least to Seventh Street. Encountered several Maple Leafs fans walking eastbound, who gracefully accepted congratulations.

Big after-game traffic snarl as cars are unable to make it up the hill if any one car gets stuck.

Hugely festive scene in our neighborhood as cheering hockey fans, on foot and in a crawling stream of cars, buses and, just a minute ago, a stretch limo, make their way west on snowy East Stadium to the hockey game.

Michelle Chamuel performed starting around 10:40 p.m. It was 16 F, or -8 Canadian. [photo 1] [photo 2] [photo 3] [photo 4] [photo 5] [photo 6] [photo 7] [photo 8] [photo 9] [photo 10]

Pink high heels won the prize for most fashionable footwear at The Puck Drops Here event. [photo]

At 6 p.m. bars were setting up outdoor seating. The security guards for the puck were already very cold. [photo]

Blue trash barrels dot the Pioneer High School front yard; concessions setting up east of the stadium.

Crane stands ready for puck-dropping duties. [photo] Main Street is closed as preparations begin for The Puck Drops Here. Small cluster of Red Wings fans mid-block between Liberty and William nearing the intersection: “No, I think this is it, that’s all there is. We’ve walked the whole town.”

Wayfinding map overlayed with temporary version optimized for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day events (Puck Drop and NHL Winter Classic). [photo]

Miller is completely closed, with a utility trench across it. Traffic has been detoured to Wines/Saunders.

Headed southbound towards Washtenaw Avenue about 200 yards before the intersection a deer prances across the road east-to-west. In other news my brakes work great.

Sundance Film Festival banners going up on light posts. [photo]

Couple stop to look at snow-covered information map. Guy writes “♥ you” [photo]

Old Town Tavern wound up this year’s Sunday night live music series with an all-star combination: Matt Jones was offering sweet vocals accompanied by his own finger-picked guitar, backed by Misty Lynn, with Serge van der Voo (Orpheum Bell) on the upright bass and Colette Alexander absolutely whaling on the cello. [photo] Finish out the year and start the next one with Matt Jones and Misty Lyn and the Big Beautiful at Mittenfest at Woodruff’s at 36 E. Cross St. in Ypsilanti. Jones plays on Dec. 28, 2013 at 10:15 p.m. with Misty Lyn and the Big Beautiful slotted in for 11 p.m on Dec. 29.

Coolest. Thing. Ever. Fairy doors for grownups. Sign on this “Little Free Library” guides one to this cool website. This little library is on a private road. [photo] [photo] I know of another one on Chandler Street in the Northside neighborhood. I intend to build one next summer.

Signage is now in place for pedestrian crosswalks and refuge islands, but no pavement “zebra stripes” to define them.