When Sadie came nosing into our room a little after midnight Tuesday morning, whining, waking us up, my first thought was that Timmy had fallen down the well. But we don't know anyone named Timmy. And we don't have a well.

Then I thought perhaps another pop culture icon had died.

When I got up Tuesday morning, I realized that the snow had collapsed the bamboo shade lattice Lissa and I had built in the backyard. Sadie was trying to tell us something.