Snow days in Michigan

This morning, we awoke to nearly an inch of powdery snow that lay lightly atop all the surfaces around our house. It was beautiful and serene, until suddenly, from nowhere in particular, a screeching and scraping noise entered the quiet sanctity of the master bedroom.

I shot up out of bed.  "What was that?"

The other side of the bed was empty. I turned on the lights and raced down the stairs to find Evan. When I finally found him - at work on his model cars - I asked again, "what was that?"

"What was what?"

"That loud screeching noise."

"I didn't hear anything."

The line of questioning died quickly thereafter, only to be revived when I took the two squirming dogs