"It was imprudent of us, in the first place, to become authors. We could have become something regular, but we managed not to.
We were lucky, but we were also determined." Roy Blount Jr

"I don’t change the facts to enhance the drama. I think of it the other way round, the drama has got to fit the facts,
and it’s your job as a writer to find the shape in real life."
Hilary Mantel

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Cold and Colder

Yesterday was cold, the temperature was in the teens. We feel fortunate to have our electricity after the ice storm. Plenty of people don't, and must rely on shelters.

I survived my most shivery walk yet from the Legislators' parking lot to the State House. We had a "Working with the Media" continuing ed session. I met up with the Chap after lunch and we sat through a committee orientation together.

Back at the parking lot, I noticed this curious spectacle directly in front of my car. Some creative young vandal had pitched a shopping cart off the top level of the garage, and it was hanging in a tree.



With this deep, deep freeze, our little lake is iced over.



This morning was colder--zero degrees when I first woke up. That was enough to keep me under the covers for a good long while.

In order to feed the birds, I stepped nervously onto the deck. It's covered with sleet, frozen solid and frosted with a film of glare ice.



Here's the rail of the deck.



My bird feeders were completely encased in ice, so I had to bash them against the rail so I could get them open. Or run hot water over them to melt the ice.

The morning sunshine made the trees and shrubs glisten. These twisted, icy vines are remnants of a scarlet runner bean.



The entire fenced area of the dog yard is an ice rink. Occasionally I need to take Lola and Ruth outside long enough to do their business. Not only can't they walk across the slippery surface, when they squat they lose their balance completely. I've delayed clipping their toenails so they'll have cleats, but it hasn't made any difference.

Although at first I thought Dogs on Ice would make an interesting film, I decided I can't abuse their dignity like that. Their lack of skating skills stopped being funny when Lola slipped and fell--hard. She was up again in an instant, but I worry about her old bones. Ruth manages to trot up and down the outside stair without too much trouble...but as soon as gets to the bottom and confronts that vast white glacier, she looks back up at me as if to say, "How long must I deal with this nonsense?"

Wish I knew.


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