The snow was a thrill for the children today, which allowed their parents to allow their childhood fascination to reappear for an afternoon. Improvised sleds were pulled behind motorized vehicles, and snowballs were a constant reminder of watching your back.
One great niece, when I noticed she was just sitting, replied with a quick "no" when I asked: "You don't like cold weather"? I ushered her to the fire pit, told her her Pa-Pa was not using his chair, and she sat to warm her hands. I'm thinking there may be more to her morose feeling than just the cold. She's the child of a couple that is going through some custody adjustments, and her mother is notorious for attempting to turn he daughter against her father that has possessive custody. A mediation is scheduled for Friday, and if my assessment of her mother is correct, she's been working hard to muddy the water with outright lies. Such things are hard on children at eight years of age. Someone with wisdom wouldn't subject their child to an attempt to get them to choose sides when they are unable to process the entire problem. I don't see that wisdom, and the petty, vicious actions of the past only make me wish her custody would end.
We did have somewhat of a thaw late in the afternoon. This offered me an opportunity to sweep any snow left on the steps, which allowed the thin layer of water to dry. The guaranteed freeze near dark would make them treacherous for a trip down the steps. They dried before the temperature dropped below freezing. This will allow our little dog access to the spot where I removed snow in the yard, which is till deep in snow where I haven't shoveled it away. Accomplishing his business is tough when squatting puts his hind end in the piled snow. I had to carry him out in the yard for his first effort this morning, which left him somewhat panicky. He didn't quite know what to think of the snow, would run into it only to return again, and finally found a spot to complete his business. He's now an old pro. He doesn't dally like on pleasant mornings.
I went to bed at 6:00 pm with the knowledge I'd awake in a few hours. I woke at 10:00 pm, looked at the temperature, and decided to I'd mostly stay awake the rest of tonight. It was 21 degrees at the time. In 2 hours, it fell to 17. We'll be near single digits by sunrise, and regardless of my efforts to prevent frozen pipes, I will still run some water off, and on, during the night to guarantee that water will be available. The well house is sufficiently warm, but I'm wary. I wouldn't be able to do anything but cat-nap anyway, so I'll be vigilant until it is above freezing tomorrow. Hopefully, all my preparations were successful.
Outside, it was a dead-still winter wonderland. The snow was still thick. The only sound to be heard was an occasional hoot of an owl, and the snow scintillated like diamonds in the light from a flashlight. The aroma of wood smoke was heavy, and the wind was calm,. The crunch of the snow was loud as I walked through the yard and followed some small tracks I assume were from a bird. They led me to where they must have flown away, since they ended abruptly. The sky was clear, Orion was overhead, and the Big Dipper was rising in the east. It wasn't as clear as I thought it would be. There was a haziness to the air, which I think is probably from the cold air reacting to the moisture available at sunset.
The next few days will bring freezing temperatures at night, but nights will soon be warmer than freezing again. Weather forecasters are calling for high rain chances this weekend. We won't need the rain. The melting snow will keep the ground saturated for days, and any rainfall will immediately fill the outfalls.
Locally, the schools, and government offices, will be closed. Many businesses will do the same to prevent their employees from driving on what are definitely treacherous roads. The snow melted into a slush, which hadn't dried at dark. I'm sure there is black ice to be found, and bridges without sand are a skating rink.
