Good early morning GH. We have just cruised past 1:00 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 13° as we head for our high of 18°. That's a bit different from where we were at at this time yesterday. Today is just the prelude to Thursday's 24° and the forecast highs for Friday and Saturday, when the temperatures will peak out at 35° and 40° respectively. I can honestly say once again, "What's not to like?"

Today will be the first day I have been out since last Friday. After a quick stop at the bank downtown, Mary will drop me off at P/T this afternoon and go on to the grocery store. We didn't run out of anything, but the pickings were getting a bit slim. I am getting a bit tired of being a shut in, but going out into the cold and snow had even less appeal. When the man who shovels our snow came to work yesterday, he had his hands more than full. The end of our shared driveway was so snowed and iced under from the necessary efforts of the city, that he had to enlist the aid of a local plow driver to get that area cleared. Sugar the Weather Dog had to wear her boots when she went out with her walker later in the day.

Speaking of Sugar, when I was up early yesterday, I let her out. However, because her tether had become iced on the deck, she couldn't get very far. Mary fixed that problem in the morning, but we had to wait for the deck to be cleared along with a small area in the back of the palatial estate, so that she could really go out. Fortunately for her, she and her walker found an area in the park where she could really "go out" later. Today, they will be back on her regular schedule as the temperatures warm. That means that Sugar can stop staring at the door waiting for her walker, and actually greet the walker upon arrival.

Mary has more work to do today and she anticipates that final editing will take place on Thursday. I hope that she is right and that that happens around midday, rather than late in the day like last time. I was so tired by then, that I probably wasn't good company. Otherwise, my book is going well and I anticipate that I will finish this one by Friday or Saturday. When we get back from P/T, I'll probably be exhausted and ready for a nap.

I haven't posted any pictures of the storm of the decade, because I can't wield a camera. Mary has posted a few and so you'll have to check her work. She takes good pictures and is probably more selective than I in her work. That's okay, as long as I can get some of her pictures to place in my "Storm Archives" for the record.

First train tonight heading south. Twin locomotives and a string of mixed cars. There were none last night, probably due to the blowing and drifting snow. I doubt that the train drivers could get the cars coupled together for a run. Trains aren't usually bothered by the snow. However, our national train system got bogged down near Chicago last night, trapping 500 people. They had to be rescued by buses. It could have been worse, as they could have been stuck in some airport.

That looks like about it for yesterday. The Sun will rise at 8:16 AM and set at 5:28 PM today. Tea time will follow Sunrise shortly after that happens. Ciao.