Coldest Morning So Far

Lily and the Snow

It's three degrees. Three. WE don't have that kind of weather. Well, it's not the norm, anyway. There have been a few years when the temperatures dipped below zero, even, but it's not common. The first years I lived in this house the pipes froze and burst two winters in a row. Everything seems fine this morning. So far.

Yesterday's snow was lovely, though, fine and soft with just three inches. The wind picked up and some has drifted; I took the dogs out last night and snow swirled around us as we hurried through the evening necessities. Already the birds are flocking to the feeders; I hurried through the feeding of the cats and birds this morning. Lily came out with me but was glad to come back in, with TJ right at her heels.

Yesterday was a day of computer work, with another funeral in the afternoon. The face of our community is changing fast. But it's hard to be terribly sad when someone has gone through such a long period of decline, with a devoted family working so hard to care for him. And the clan gathers; familar faces that have surrounded me all my life. But every year sees a few more missing.

I was able to exchange a few opinions with JAG's father, always a pleasure because of his sharp wit and sensible viewpoints (sensible to me, at least, because I agree with him). It's easy to see, in looking around at one of our family gatherings, where JAG came by her intelligence. There are a lot of quick minds and clever eyes dwelling among us.

It was growing colder when I came home, so I tackled the bunny chores swaddled in more than my usual layers. My sister-in-law compares my winter outfit to that of an old Russian woman. Maybe she didn't say old. I'm not sure why that particular image occurred to her; maybe it's the scarf draped over my head to hold the hat on. The rabbit bottles were frozen, of course, so I thawed and refilled them. They are solid this morning, of course!

Sort of an exciting thing for me here. The author of Blue Ridge Gazette paid a visit to my blog yesterday and I had to check his site out. In an exchange of messages I decided that I might have something to contribute to what looks like a very interesting new venture. So my first 'article' is posted; let me know what you think!