Looks like this will be the obsession topic this winter…

…and I’ve certainly had worse. I remember morning after morning in Michigan, as the sun rises unseen to illuminate gray sky and lots of fluffy falling snow. Not very cold, a point or two above freezing, no wind. Very pleasant, really, if you don’t have to drive anywhere and you’re in a well-insulated house with central heat. Your only problems are the knowledge that it’s on you to shovel off the walks and driveway, and the question of whether there’s enough cocoa in the pantry.

This is my tenth winter in the desert, and on the previous nine such mornings were cold, damp misery. By the end of December I stank under several layers of musty sweatshirts and a good day was when my fingers and toes didn’t hurt. And on still mornings with fluffy snow, I tried to remember how and exactly why I used to rather enjoy such days.

The new cabin wrapping and siding, along with improved fuel and the loss of my chimney fire phobia, seems to have brought back the love. I don’t have enough electricity to continue at length and anyway I’ve already said it but this is nice. Finally. I’m sitting at my ‘pooter in shirtsleeves and the cabin is actually too warm. Just came back in from cleaning off the solar panels, not that it will help much, but the cabin is warm and dry and I’m regarding the snow and goo outside my window as something I don’t presently have to deal with.

For those of you who helped make that happen, know that it was a very big gift.

And now I have to shut things down and let the batteries charge. You guys enjoy your holiday – I’m enjoying mine.