Above: A yearning tree in Beverly, by Brian Lewandowski (used under Creative Common). Below: A lonely bus shelter in Newton, by Ben Ostrander (copyright Ben Ostrander).

From the hard edges of City Hall to the soft contours of the hills of Brighton, BehindDarkEyes made the snowfall her beat today.

Copyright 2009 BehindDarkEyes.

Of course, an outdoor barbecue.

Kalim Saliba braved the elements for this shot of the sun going down over the Charles.

Given that I've preached about neighbors who don't clear their walks, I was taken aback this morning over this situation:

Although we cleared our sidewalk during the weekend snow storm and put down de-icer, yesterday the biggest melting snow pile caused a stream of water to flow towards the street, and last night it froze up, leaving about a 3-foot long patch of ice on our sidewalk.

In case you missed it, and in case you're driven nuts by people who shovel their driveways onto the sidewalk or street, you have to read Swirlygrrl's Special Queen Snowflake story.

He looks like he could use a good meal or something.

How to walk on ice for people too stupid to figure it out for themselves.

I could stare at that first slide all day (or maybe I should, you know, work). The third slide is worthy of a Three Stooges short - and it packs quite an existential wallop, when you think about it (will the guy with the ice pick help out the guy trying to tuck in his chin as he falls backward on the ice, or will the hapless loser forever find himself falling, falling, falling?). The second slide, eh, it exists solely so you can get from the first slide to the third.

One for those of us inside 128 who, despite the best efforts of ActionNews StormTeam DestructionWatch with the flying, twisting plexiglass graphics and ActonShots of Harv and Dick huddling in great concern over a monitor, just aren't panicking (wife and kidlet report Roche Bros. in West Roxbury was no more insane than usual) and one for people west and north of 128, who have already felt one lash of Icy Death and so spent today stocking up on more than just bread, milk and eggs. Kelly reports on conditions in the greater Littleton area this evening:

I just got back from the grocery store, and based on my near-death experience, I'm calling High.

Yes. YES. I know. I am ashamed. We succumbed to the mass hysteria gripping the region and went to the grocery store after work today, with the original idea of "bopping in quickly" to pick up the requisite toilet paper, milk, bread and dog food, but leaving the store $100 lighter and with a overflowing grocery cart.

Apparently, every other resident of town had the same idea. ... So anyway, we have 10 cans of soup and a GALLON of milk and dog food AND a generator AND 50 feet of extension cord. ...

And if only that were the end of the desperation. Wait until you see what else she bought at the supermarket.