It’s late evening here in Stove Pipe City and it’s a balmy 4 degrees below zero outside and calling for a max low temp of 6 below before the sun comes up which is much warmer than what it has been (it was 14 below last night). And I just read an article on that international study that’s about to be released that we’ll be seeing significant effects from global warming within 10 years instead of 50 like they had previously stated…or was that 30? No wait–it was 20 years just a couple of weeks ago wasn’t it? So I guess by the time the weekend rolls around we’ll wake up here in the Kingdom to 70 degree weather and the trees in full bloom. Hey, I’ll trade the snow blower for the mower any day of the week. It’s darn cold out these days.

Can’t complain much though. We’ve seen a lot worse. Like 40 degrees below worse. Still, it doesn’t make meandering outside during the work week in the early AM to warm up the cars any more comfortable I’ll tell ya’ that.

One more month to go in the long haul and February is most definitely the longest month of the year. Don’t know why that is. It just seems where December (the month before the long haul) goes by in about two weeks, then the long haul hits with January which usually takes the about normal  five week month to get through then it’s February and what feels like eight and a half weeks in front of you. By the time you get to march you’re outside in a light jacket just to make you feel better. The fact that it’s still well below freezing doesn’t really seem to matter as you stand out there by your favorite tree shivering your timbers off cheering the buds on (go-buds-go…yeah buds!). After awhile and a long hot bath you finally wise up and don that old winter coat for a little while longer but it still doesn’t stop you from giving the buds the old eyeball and occasional pat as you head out dooryard.

Keep warm now.