Icing

It's an icy, icy world out there. Noisy, too. When I stepped out onto the deck this morning to fling food for the birds, the sleet was hissing loudly as it struck the hemlocks. We're receiving the dreaded "wintry mix"--icy rain, sleet, and very tiny snowflakes. The temperature is in the mid-20's.

I hope it's snowing a lot up-state.

Here are the Queen Anne's Lace heads from my office window.



The Chap's workplace was not scheduled to be closed for Martin Luther King Day. However, it never even opened, due to the treacherous driving conditions. Luckily there's a hotline he can call for circumstances like this. Only the cancellation voicemail notice was posted after he got up, showered, and put on his tie and jacket.

This morning's newspaper reported that yours truly is the winner in the current "guess the photo" contest! It's a regular feature. One of the photographers takes a very close up image of an architectural detail from a building somewhere downtown. Last week's image was the stone ornamentation on the pillars of the Legislative Office Building, where I've been spending so much of my time lately. I've now proved myself one of the more observant State Representatives lurking about the place. My prize: a $15 gift certificate at one of the businesses downtown.

Last night's premiere of 24 was incredible. Looking forward to tonight's installment. (I'll be videotaping the first two hours of the Golden Globes.)

Here's one more view from my window, the ice-coated branches of the winterberry bushes and the rugosa roses.