Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 11°. There is a wind chill warning in effect until 10:00 AM today. With gusts of 20 - 30 MPH, the temperature can feel like is it anywhere from 15° - 30° below zero. Blowing snow continues to make driving hazardous, and that wind chill is very real. Mary and I were out for a short period on Tuesday evening, and it took less than 30 seconds before we were thoroughly chilled. Today it looks as though the forecast is for 18° as we head over to my P/T appointment, the library, and my haircut this afternoon. Thursday, the snow returns, but the temperature is forecast to rise to 28°

I opened the blinds earlier and stared out the Weather Window to see what the early morning hours were like. I closed the blinds again quickly, because it was a scene of desolation. I heard a train go by around midnight, one that Mary felt was short, but one which I felt was much longer. I could actually "Feel the wheels rumbling neath the floor." Thanks to the song City of New Orleans, for those familiar words. I believe that the snow cover muffled some of the usual good vibrations. Once again, thanks to another song, this time Good Vibrations, for more familiar words. I didn't see it, but I know it was out there.

It is possible that another train will return sometime later this morning heading north. I'll be back in bed, but I'll know, believe me I'll know. Hey, I'm on a roll, those are words from The Night has a Thousand Eyes. Just try to avoid humming some of the words to those three songs.

Sugar the Weather Dog is asleep on the couch downstairs. She'll be going out a bit earlier today to accommodate the schedule of her walker. That's better than going out in the back forty of the palatial estate on her tether, where she faces four white walls that are eerily reminiscent of a college dorm room. She and her walker won't be gone long, I'm sure.

It looks like the area schools will be open today, in spite of the wind chills. These shortened weeks wreak havoc on teaching schedules and student learning. You can make up the days at the end of the year, but by then the children are in a different mindset. All you can do is work through it and urge the students on to greater efforts.

Today, as I previously mentioned, we have all those places to visit. Mary has work to do, so she will probably be working right up until the time we get ready to go. I'd walk over to the barber shop, which is about one block away, but the sidewalks are treacherous between here and there. I don't know how much time walking would save. Maybe Mary can do the library part of the trip while I am in the chair. That should consume a goodly part of the PM hours today. The morning may be time to do very little for me other than breakfast and...Tea time.

During the morning hours on Thursday, I have a short doctor's appointment at the hospital at 9:30 AM. Since I can't yet drive myself, that interrupts Mary's morning too. That appointment shouldn't take long, but it is one more getting ready, bundling up, and driving in the cold. Then on Friday, another P/T appointment in the afternoon. However, Mary should have a solid amount of time in which to do her work before then.

That looks like about it for now. Sunrise is at 8:03 AM today. The days are getting longer and spring will soon be here, I hope. As evidence I offer the following. The boys in blue and the Tigers pitchers and catchers report on February 14. My beloved Red Sox on February 17. If I had to use the local weather as evidence, I'd be proven wrong. Ciao.