Yes, Menard's is another big box store like Home Depot and Lowe's although they sell lumber, think you have to really go in there and pick through it to get decent stuff. Yes, it appears to be a midwest thing, very popular here, always busy when I've been in there.

Frankly, I do shop those big box stores but just love our locally owned hardware store in Bettendorf, think it's a Tru Value one. Extremely popular here and excellent service. Even though I have to pay a little more, I don't mind for a lot of things because I have been there so often for so many different things, I know just where to go for what I want. They have drawers and screws nuts bolts and put them in a little paper sack and mark the price. They have the boxed stuff and shrink wrapped, too. They cut for me at 50 cents a cut and cut pvc pipe for free if you know the measurement. HD won't do that, at least the one here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Map showing Menard's store locations

This shot is from many year ago, but it is snow related. I had a horrible neighbor..nosy, critical, "If you didn't (barbecue, play, garden, live outside..my dog wouldn't bark at you!) kind of person. I captured her in snow in the middle of our backyard...
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back view...
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She had to tip-toe on her deck to see what was happenning in our back yard (which she did often). She was pretty quiet after I made my snow sculpture.

OMG! Best snow-witch ever!!! LOLOLOLOL You're a talented sculptor, wendy2shoes! Thanks for the laugh!

Wendy2shoes.
LOL!!! she even has a belly button!
Awesome! LOL. as a kid my sisters and I made snow women but nothing even close to your work of art.
thanks for sharing!

:)Laura

Sad thing is..that's sorta what I look like now..Karma?

It's not very often I laugh out loud while I am sitting at my computer but I was rolling when I saw the snow statue of your neighbor! That is so funny! Something I would sooo do if I was as creative as you.

I know. Me, too. That cracks me up. What an in-your-face way to get even. And it's so artistic, I could never do neat snow sculptures like that! We built FORTS and just snowmen.

Too funny, thanks for posting!

plant something that will climb that old apple tree. It's ugly and I'd have it cut down but I need the shade for my shade garden where that shepherd's hook is, put my glass hummingbird feeder on it in the nice weather.

That bird feeder, I just HAD to have that, too. Somebody on my photo forum elsewhere posted a photo of his with a racoon on it. I wanted one just like it. Well, he'd gotten it the year before, think he said Lowe's. But another poster came along and said they'd seen one just like it at Home Depot within the last two weeks. So I ran out to ours and they had some! I bought one.

The guy was so nice, he made a diagram of a cedar baffle box he'd buried his in rather that setting in concrete. So I go down to the hardware store and have them cut me some cedar to his specs. Then I bought the cedar 4X4 post, had them cut it down some, and took the boards over to the repair shop. One guy in the repair shop was willing to put the baffle box together for me and didn't charge much for it.

Then my daughter got a friend to get it in the ground for me, it had to go down 16 inches. That's been about 3 years ago now, and it stays pretty straight and firm in there. The platform had big cracks in it though so he chinked it up but if you lift off the top and fill it, the seeds spill out all over the ground. So I was just putting fewer seeds around the edge of the platform and haven't done any for 2 years because it's easier to put them in front.

But I haven't seen many birds at all, don't know what has happened to them.

Since I don't know how to post pictures on the computer, I played around with making copies of my snow pictures on regular computer paper and I was surprized at how good they came out. It will allow me to pick certain pictures and copy them on my computer and send to relatives in Arizona and Florida, without the expense of sending the original photos, and they don't have to send them back.

Well It's still snowing..
Here's more pictures,and remember the dates wrong until noon, AM, PM thing.
this one is of the cars I tried to keep cleaned off
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my chicken coop
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the picnic table {{gwi:357691}}
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wishing well.

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The drifts are terrible but we're all nice and warm in the house.
:)Laura

oops I forgot to re size that one. sorry.

wendy - that snow-woman is the best! LOL!

Here are my offerings - pics taken at 6:30 this morning. Nothing compared to what most of you have, but if my terrace looks like this, you can imagine what the streets look like. 10+ inches overnight, and it's still snowing as I write!

(For the first time since I started WSing, my jugs are actually buried in snow!)

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This one taken from inside, showing the snow drifted up against my bedroom windows ....

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PV

Laura, are there chickens in that coop????

pvick,
no chickens. I haven't had them in years but the coop is cute so I kept it.
Wow you got some good snow. My DD lives in Brooklyn. As of 9:00 last night she only had slush. I guess she woke up to a surprise. LOL.
Stay warm,
:)Laura

I can't stop posting pictures LOL.
It slowed down so I took more shots.
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my compost.
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a better shot of the picnic table
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I feel so bad for all the people without power.
:( Laura

Those photos are unreal. I looked at the first new one and went OMG. Then I looked at the others. Same reaction. I don't know if it even gets that bad where my sister lives in MN, think it was almost like that when I was up there one winter. That is more like what you would see in Siberia! Sometimes they don't have it that bad, just colder than most of us would want to deal with, like 30-40F below.

Seriously, I don't think I could shovel myself out of that even with my snowblower, would have to pay for help. Just too much.

pippi, I've printed pictures on regular copy paper, too. Another good use for it is if you have a home DIY problem and don't quite know what you need. I took a photo of a problem and took it to the hardware store, found out what I needed, got that and fixed the problem. Plumbing.

I don't know if this will make any sense but maybe this will get you started posting photos here. Remember you can hit preview many times to make sure it is going to work, and your photo will show up in preview if you have the code in there right. If you can't get it to work, just don't hit submit, exit the browser (that will kill it) and come back to the forum.

Most people here use photobucket or flickr, it's free. They will give you the code to copy and paste in your post here, but it takes a bit to learn how to use those sites, easy once you get the hang of it.

My motto is "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again", learned that as a little girl.

I need to try to simplify these instructions.

*********************************

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Here is a picture of my driveway and barn a couple of weeks ago. We got a total of 47" with a few days.

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Denise

wow Denise!
that's a lot of snow. Are you still buried?
:)Laura

There is still alot out there. I'm not sure how much is still still left but we are not down to bare ground yet.

Another picture of the back walkway and deck behind out house.
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Denise

Yes. We are dug out but we had alot of wind last night with a little more snow. I think just a couple of inches and now snowdrifts. I am so done with the snow.

Denise

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This is my back yard this month, enjoying all the photos!!!

Nice pictures,
I love both your arbors. Mulchy your yard looks so gigantic. love the pine trees.
here's another shot of those over grown privets. I hate them anyway. lol
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right now, It's not snowing. :) but the weather man says up to 12 more inches tonight. I hope he's wrong . I can't find my jugs to check for sprouts.
:)Laura

Laura, I forgot to mention that your Pom is adorable. Here is a picture of my little long hair chiahuahua Sophie.

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Denise

OMG! Denise she's adorable!!!. It looks like her white spot on her forehead is in the shape of a heart!
Is she as sweet as she looks? My sunshine looks sweet but she really is a BAD dog. She only loves mommy. My DH tries but she hates him. I need the dog whisperer. I really do. lol
:)Laura

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Yes, we do have a big back yard,also a large front yard!!! Here is a picture of the back yard in mid summer. My husband built me that arbor 2 years ago ,I am growing wisteria on it, hoping it will bloom this year!!!

Oh, you have one of those that draws you in because their so cute and harmless looking and then they go for the kill. LOL. She is adorable though.
Yes, She is a very sweet dog. She is not your typical chiahuahua. Not a mean bone in her. Bless her heart she even puts up with our 3yr old.

Denise

Mulchy, is that a veggi garden in the very back of the yard? Love all the flowers.

Denise

Sophie's adorable and sweet? AWWWh, wanna trade? LOL I could never give up my little "you know what" LOL.

Mulchy,
I actually gasped when I saw you picture! That is one gorgeous back yard!!!! Espescially after looking at all the snow covered tundras.

:) Laura

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Yes, that is a veggie garden in the back left. I have a small greenhouse and start my veggie plants, along with flowers. I also do ws in march. This pic is of our front lawn. I just figured out how to post pictures a couple months ago, it only took me two years to figure it out!!!! I am trying to figure out how to post multiple pictures now... Thanks for the nice coments!!!!
Ginger

Ginger,
I just learned how to post pic's too.
After you paste, hit the space bar, then the enter key then you can paste again without the "hml"??? (whatever they're called) codes running in together. I was having that problem too.
Now I've created another monster BWHAHAHAHA! sorry I'm just picture post crazy. I Love your pictures.

:)Laura

paste, space, enter.
paste. space, enter.
paste,space. enter.
TRY It. or go to the test forum.
I practice a lot there.
On the discussion side, they'll help you.
but practice on the galley side.
If I can do it, You can do it!

Here is a link that might be useful: testing

5 hours digging out today.

Cell phone pics so their pretty small but you can get the drift (get it---drift. I crack myself up. Where's the Ben Gay?)

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First Pass up the Driveway

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DD Awaiting Instructions

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I Think My SIL Left Her Mini Under Here

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Keep Diggin' Kid

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Front Walk

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Mrs. Monte Is Not Happy

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SIL And Montemobile Ready to Go

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DS's Subaru and Mommyvan All Clear.

nice job! Monte,
cars are all clear. lol.
wish mine were. hey I really tried, were is that ben-gay ?

:)Laura

it's finally over. These are from today, Ignore the date :)
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this is my front door.
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We're all fine, and never lost power:) Thank goodness for the neighbors and their cool toys. {{gwi:357738}}
:)Laura

I must say you people are real troopers. Our friends in New England, many probably can't be here to share. Massive power outages, trees down all over, and they had something like this last year.

Monte, amazing job! auntyara, I cannot believe what you are dealing with, those huge piles of snow! And the others who have shared. And the one who still has cars snowed in, can't get out, seem to be taking it in your stride (can't get back easily to address you by name).

I hate to succumb to envy, but mulchy's yard is so beautiful, what real garden areas should be if you have so much room. But it's a lot of work, a labor of love for most of us. I've seen wonders worked in smaller yards, I'm still learning what might work better for mine.

Always check the news before I come here, massive earthquake in Chile (wow am I slipping a lot lately spelled it Chili), tsunami warnings. It's really sobering to read of such things. I am counting my blessings but not feeling smug because you never know what's next no matter where you live.

Not nearly the snow amounts you guys have-but here are pics of my front yard this morning.

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Rhonda

Rhonda,
nice pictures. I just took some more.
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That's our neighbors toy.
:)Laura

What a lucky neighbor - and you! Those have got to be expensive.

Rhonda, what a pretty neighborhood! Somehow I had you pictured living out of town a ways.

Wow, lots more snow than I have. I can see grass in places where it melted. I am so sick of being inside I might just go build a snowman. Or snow woman. the one posted here cracked me up!!! That would make my neighbors mad....oh I definately should do at. At least one with a butt,lol

I am glad you are all safe. I hope spring comes soon, my jugs are covered with snow but I can see them still. I will try to post a pic sometime...

Karen

Thassa ton of snow, auntyara! How much did you get?

PV

too much!!!.LOL
DH said 4ft, but we all know how men exaggerate when it comes to measurements.lol. I say it's butt high. Impossible to walk in. so between 3 and 4 ft.
We're lucky, we have power. And great neighbors!
:)Laura

wow!! Laura...Lucky you!!

living in TX snow is a miracle in itself...
but this year was our winter for sure!!
i had my first ever white x-mas this season a whole 3"...

then when got another miracle....12.7" inches at our house!!
all time record for our area....2/11/2010

Dogs/Cats and even the neighborhood kids were not sure what to do with snow LOL....
these are just a few pics i took...

Needless to say i walked around for 6 hours that day with my camera hehehe 4000+ Pictures...

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Amy

katheria,
your dog is so cute, and confused.lol!!!
I love your second picture, That is so beautiful!!!
show more! But Not all 4000. lol.
:) Laura

"we all know how men exaggerate when it comes to measurements"

Whatever do you mean Laura???

A few of the boys in the neighborhood sculpted an impressive.... ummmm? appendege?? down the street.

Very realistic and easily 8 ft tall.

The complete "package" so to speak including the accessories.

Didn't get a pic.

One of the neighbors was not amused and destroyed it.

Wendy, that snow woman is so funny! Hey, she needs some jewelry added. Have any old plastic jewelry around that you can put around her neck?(remember the old plastic pop beads?) Spray paint some clothes on her using food coloring in a spray bottle, maybe. Old glasses? An artifical flower in her hair?

LOL laura....

well ya know its a rare rare event here.

froze my butt off for sure....hehee
but in the end it was worth it...

hehe yeppers Brandy was really confused for sure..she wasnt sure she wanted to go out and do her bussines...i had to coax her out in the yard LOL

Monte,
Umm, thank goodness you didn't get a pic. LOL

What a difference a couple of days makes.
we never did decorate him and now he's melting.

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:)Laura

I just discovered this thread! I will add some pictures of my neighborhood:

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I enjoyed looking at the pics of something we don't have here for a change! Eastern Massachusetts is part of a small portion of the entire Northeast that doesn't have any snow cover. Please feel sorry for me. LOL

I can't believe that Pvick's jugs were covered with snow and NYC had over a foot and we had mostly rain. Weird weather.

kiskin,
Nice pictures, thanks for sharing. I sometimes forget how small the internet has made the world. :)

terrene, you poor dear. lol
:)Laura