For the first time in my life here, I feel it’s wise not to go outside at all, not for a walk, not for a ride, not for anything but taking care of the animals. The temperature has risen to 0 degrees, and by tonight it will be – 20 degrees, with high and brutish winds.

I got a good lesson this morning when I rushed outside with my camera to try to capture the sun coming up over the barn, and my camera froze right in my hands and the shutter would not work. I felt right away this was a different kind of cold – I was in my nightshirt, of course, a minute or two would be fine. But it wasn’t really, I had to flee back into the house.

Red ran 10 feet out on the path, and then turned and rushed to the door, pleading to be let in. This was a first. We were talking of going to the movies, but that seems a foolish idea also. You don’t want to risk being out in the cold unless you have to.

We will make an emergency run to the dump, we have to get the garbage out of here. I can’t imagine what it is like to be a homeless person today, or a family heading to Disney World, or a poor family in a mobile home, or  an elderly couple trapped in their homes trying to conserve heating oil.

We are the lucky ones in this, Mother Earth is grabbing us by the throat and warning us to awaken.

More later, I’ve got to get the dogs outside so they can do their stuff, of our dogs only Fate seems not to know or care how cold it is.

Stay warm.