I don’t know what other thermometers read this morning, but mine is down to -1 degree with a wind chill of -15 degrees. The sun is shining, so the cold is deceptive. It is not snowy or sleeety, just a deadly serious frigid temperature. I’ve put out the first seeds and water of the morning […]

Whence Cometh Thou, O Brother North Wind?
As if making up for the warm weather before Christmas, Old Man Winter and Old Brother North Wind have returned with a frigid breath and long, icy fingers. As I looked back at last year’s post, it was cold on this date a year ago too. I was working on By the Fright of the […]

A First Sifting of Snow
The view from my front room window is different this morning–lawns are covered in white. So far, we don’t have much but it sure is pretty. It makes the darkness light, covers over the not-so-pretty things, and paints the world with peace and beauty, As we hurry to do last minute chores to get ready […]

A Warm, Sunny Welcome to a Notorious Guest
Happy first day of winter and a hearty welcome to a notorious guest. Today is the shortest day of the year, the longest night, the day when the sun begins heading north instead of south, and a spring-like day in NW Arkansas. It’s as if warm weather and autumn are having a final fling, a […]

A Hedgehog or a Turtle Day?
Among the gifts my children gave me at Christmas was this happy little hedgehog. He sits atop my computer and looks on with interest as I type the current suspenseful scene in By the Fright of the Silvery Moon. This hedgehog is more than he seems at first glance. He reverses, and becomes a turtle. […]


