I can’t imagine a sweeter way to ride out a storm than to be writing on my new computer with a dog (Zinnia) lying at my feet sound asleep, and my wonderful wife and partner holed up in her studio making some art.

We spent several hours this morning digging out our cars, scraping snow off of the roof,  shoveling paths to the pasture and out in the pasture and shoveling out the mailbox on the road, it is always plowed under by the state trucks.

I am sore and tired. I got the car out and took it into town to go to the Post Office, which was open.

I stopped at Amy McLenithan’s food trailer this morning to get some coffee and two big bowls of her chicken soup, which we shall need today. We’re getting another six to ten inches tonight and tomorrow. Then more snow on Wednesday.

The animals are holed up in the Pole Barn, Zinnia had blast tearing through the snow, and is uncharacteristically worn out. She’s happy to come and collapse in my study. I’m glad to have her. She’s my dog.

I don’t love November, but I do love the true winter, the time of snow and wind and wood stoves and sleeping dogs and cozy, creative studios.

It’s sometimes a challenging time, but always a beautiful time, especially if one is fortunate enough to have firewood,  good windows and a refrigerator full of good food.

I am sometimes afraid of the weather here, but I will never speak poorly of it. It might be listening.