Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City", and it feels good to be home. We traveled on both Friday and Saturday to stay ahead of winter storm Sparta that was scheduled to hit IN, OK, TN, and other parts of the Midwest. Here in GH, we arrived home to find the front porch and the deck heavily snow covered, and the back door inaccessible. With a lot of help from our neighbor, we were able to get in and get resettled. Sugar the Weather Dog was glad to be home. Like us, she had had enough of riding in a car.

Currently, the temperature is 22°, although it feels like 10°. Later today, after the sun rises at 7:19 a.m., the temperature is expected to rise to 29° with a 0% chance of precipitation. Unfortunately, on the heels of Sparta. comes winter storm Thor on Tuesday, with a 100% chance of 3 - 5 inches of additional snow. While it is nice that the temperature will be 35°. It looks like we'll not see much real improvement in temperatures until late next week. March definitely came in like a lion.

I was thinking while I was out shoveling that snow late Saturday, that I'm not getting any younger. However, last night as I was thinking about that fact, I realized that it is nice to be able to get older. A few years ago, I wasn't so sure. Now, I have plans to live a long life, and grow older with Mary. Our 50th anniversary, (Wow did I actually write that?), is only eight years away. I never tell Mary often enough how fortunate I am to have her by my side and how much I love her. I love her more now than last year and not as much as tomorrow, (Thanks to Stevie Wonder for that lyrical inspiration), and she deserves the best from me. She tolerates my mood swings that seem to have increased since my illness a few years ago. It may be just my imagination, but I feel more emotional and more moody sometimes.

Keeping with the spirit of the wintry weather, I have to tackle those snow covered front porch steps and deck area later today. Mary wants me to move some of the snow off to the side of the porch in a particular way, but I can't seem to remember how. Fortunately, she'll be here to tell me. We have to pick up our stopped mail later today, so that's why I have to clear the steps and porch. Our letter carrier needs to be able to get to the mailbox. Otherwise, not much is on tap for today. Lot's of things need to be done, but none are pressing.

Yesterday, I had to thaw out the wash machine so that it would drain. Apparently, when the mud room was added several years ago, there was no insulation put under the floor, That allows the drain on the wash machine to freeze. Mary reminded me afterwards, that I should have started with hot water. Ah well, live and learn. Maybe next year I'll remember. Or, like Margaret in the Steve Goodman song The Dutchman, Mary will remember that for me.

The sun will set at 6:35 today. Ciao.