Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 29° under very snowy skies. A quick look out the Weather Window confirms that the predicted snowfall amounts of four to eight inches are very possible. We may even get more here in GH, as we are part of the famous "Near the lake" area. Zero visibility whiteouts, blowing and drifting snow, and very hazardous driving conditions are part of the forecast, as we head down to our high of 23°. Blowing and drifting, slippery road surfaces and hazardous driving conditions are also part of our fate. Fortunately, Mary and I don't have anywhere to go and all day to get there. Sugar will need to go out, but that's why we have a walker for her.

GH is having their Winter-Fest this weekend with dog races, a cardboard sled contest/race, and later in the day, the Waterfront luau in a heated tent as part of GH thumbing their collective noses at the season. The organizers were forced to cancel the polar plunge activity due to hazardous conditions. I noticed that one of the preliminary Iditarod sled races also had to be cancelled/postponed due to the heat in Alaska. Just the opposite of most towns in MI. In fact, several towns and cities in MI are having Winter-Fest type activities this weekend along with GH. One town north of here had to import snow for last year's activities from farther north, as there wasn't any of local origin. This year, they have more than enough.

I will avoid using the word obviously for this next entry. A long time ago, in a land far, far away, I'm channeling again, a professor who was instrumental in making me a better writer, said, "If you have to use the word obviously, it is likely that you haven't been," or words to that effect. So I'll just say that we will need snow removal services again in the AM. Mary knows who I am describing in both cases.

Friday, Mary dropped me off at P/T early, due to a cancellation, and went off the the grocery store. Her short exposure to the streets of "The Township," convinced her that driving was indeed hazardous due to blowing and drifting snow. On my part, the therapist noted that she lived close enough to walk and that she was originally scheduled to come in at 8:00 AM, but that the office called her and told her to wait until 11:00 AM due to those same cancellations. Good news, my range of motion continues to improve and I learned some new exercises to help in my recovery. However, I am up right now because I am waiting for the OTC pain medication to kick in. Oh well, at least I can use my time productively.

Speaking of using my time productively, I planned to make my world famous banana nut bread yesterday afternoon. However, I didn't have the requisite three bananas for the recipe. Since Mary was off to the grocery store while I was at P/T, she would be getting more bananas. But the new bananas wouldn't be ripe when they got home. She was able to procure applesauce too, which is a good substitute. But, I decided that since I had baked the squash the other day that I could use that as a substitute for the third banana. Let me say, that the squash was/is an excellent substitute. I have now added banana/squash nut bread to the banana/applesauce nut bread in my recipe quiver.

Otherwise, I have to repack the ramp that we got for Sugar the Weather Dog to assist in getting her into the car. It is just too steep. So, I will get that done later today. Then, I'll watch TV and play my guitar until it hurts, which shouldn't take long, unfortunately. As always, I'll await meals, hospital style, and perhaps work on the puzzle. I'll also watch the snow removal service once again clear the snow and attempt to find a place to pile it. I won't have any pictures, but even if I did, they wouldn't look all that different from those I recently included in my blog. The piles would just look taller.

As we were heading home, we saw a car crash not too far from the palatial estate, due to those previously mentioned hazardous driving conditions. I'll let Mary include a picture and further details in her blog to show the results of that crash. I did learn something at P/T today, in addition to my new exercises. Here in GH, and I assume in the balance of MI, the schools are mandated to close when the temperature drops below a certain point. The powers that be decided that having children waiting for buses in the cold was not safe. When I was a teacher, that wasn't part of the program, but probably should have been.

No trains tonight, as is always the case on Friday. One did go by last night, but I only heard it. Sunrise today will be at 8:07 AM and sunset at 5:48 PM. Tea time will be sometime after sunrise, and Mary plans to partake of my newly created bread. I think I'll forego the Cheerios for that myself. Ciao.