Cold Snap

Reminded of other cold snaps. Ten degrees tonight, zero tomorrow. I brought in a couple of oak knots; over several layers of clothes, I cover myself with a fleece stadium blanket. When it gets cold, my nose runs, also, it's difficult to muster the energy to get to the outhouse; interestingly, cold is not an issue when doing your business. I never feel cold when I'm involved in reading or writing, it's only when I stop. I don't enjoy sleeping in my down mummy bag, though it is warm, because it restricts my movement. I'd rather sleep under an extra blanket, and poke out a toe, to see what the day might be like. And it was very cold, face-mask cold. I started a fire and went out for an armload of wood, stoked the fire and split kindling for tomorrow; I was exhausted, took a long break, while the stove heated the kitchen area, and used the convection heater to preheat my reading and writing area. A cup of tea, an omelet, a piece of toast. Then I just read the rest of the day, Wrote a few lines at my glacial pace. Took a small walk, to see what was alive. For about five minutes I was six feet away from a red-headed woodpecker, as it worried the bark away from a dead tree. The highlight of my day. I make some cornbread, because the oven is hot, with butter and sorghum molasses this is a rare treat. Simple pleasures. I actually said "tally ho" when I spotted a parking place at Kroger last week. A bad mix of weather coming, sleet and snow, so I suit up and bring in an extra armload of wood, but it's supposed to be above freezing this weekend, so I'm not concerned. I should be able to get out on Monday or Tuesday. I don't need anything, but some fresh vegetables and fruit would be welcome. I'd love an artichoke right now, or a broiled grapefruit with a little honey.