So far, we are dealing with the cold strategically. Wood stoves going day and night – didn’t even neat to turn the furnace on last night. Long underwear, layered shirts, heavy boots, hot chocolate, coffee, bracing walks in the woods, wax dip for my fingers, good mittens, a new scarf a friend gave me. Taking photos, holed up writing. The animals could care less. The donkeys are in the barn at night, the sheep have their usual equanimity. Got to get some of those photographers gloves though, so I don’t have to take mine off. A few more days. Like the farmers say, winters were always cold, but without the media, you just didn’t think about it much.
  I am returning to a  life with little media. I will venture forth at noon or so to renew my driver’s license and to try and get better photos of the cold. I have to confess to disappointment. I have not nailed it yet. Cold is hard to capture. I keep confusing pretty with clarity, and have to think differently.