Good morning GH.  It is just now passing 12 midnight, and the current desktop temperature is 14 chilly degrees.  But, the good news is that there is only a light wind, so the temperature outdoors is bearable.  Sugar the Weather Dog would agree.

There is between a 70 and 80% chance of additional precipitation starting about 6:00 AM, but the forecast calls for only light snow to fall.  I sure hope that the forecast is right.  Why?  you ask. Well, yesterday while I was clearing the shared driveway, my poor little snow blower had a mishap. The universal joint that is part of the control mechanism for the discharge chute, came apart.  I have to disassemble it and take it into the man-cave for additional repairs.  Since I don't have any tools in the garage, and since the outer door to the man cave is blocked by snow, it will necessitate partial dis-assembly in the garage.  Then, I must go down to the man-cave for tools, do the garage portion for the first part of my task, and then carry the pieces to the man cave, rather than the whole machine.  That's one of the rubs with no tools in the garage.  One more thing on my list of things.

Update on the heat here.  I journeyed to the man-cave bout 1:00 AM, to put the battery for the drill into the charger and pick up the aforementioned tools, and while there, I decided to check the filter in the furnace.  I guess that I pulled a "Frank", because once I pulled it out and inserted a new one, the heat in the house improved dramatically, as the furnace was no longer starved for return air. That is one of the downsides to not visiting the man-cave very often.  I need to put changing the filter in my datebook and on my calendar, so that the filter gets changed monthly.  I did the datebook part so far.  Oh, I also have to get additional filters at the hardware store, be it the little or big box variety.  That's the second rub. When you don't visit the man-cave on a regular basis, you pay the price.

I didn't get much done on Thursday.   By the time I had cleared the snow, it was time for Sugar to walk.  She was insistent, and so Mary brought her out for her morning walk.  Fortunately, Mary came along so that she could go to the library.  When we reached the library, Sugar and I continued to the downtown, and them came home after a longer walk.  Unfortunately for us both, Sugar the Weather Dog stepped into some sidewalk salt on Washington, and her poor pads were "Barking," if you will excuse excuse the pun.  So, I had to carry her part way home.  I love her more than any other dog I've ever been privileged to adopt, as people who know the two of us can attest, but it is at times like this, that I wish a smaller dog had chosen me to be her human.  Still, I wouldn't trade that 35 pound bundle of love for any other dog.  Now, if I can just remember to put her boots on.

So, this morning, I will walk her again, try to avoid anymore salt exposure, and we should have a nice time as the temperatures are expected to moderate some, reaching the upper twenties by early afternoon.  Maybe I'll wait to fix the snow-blower until then.

So until the sun rises, I'll await...Tea time and the warmth that comes from a cup or two of tea in the AM.

P.S.  A short train just went by at 1:30 AM.  Mismatched locomotives and a few covered hopper cars and some box cars.

P.P.S  Yes, my new glasses did arrive, and I can now see like those people in the commercials.  What a delight.  Best of all, the cost was 1/5 of the last pair.