winter arrived.

We've had chilly temps, for sure…but they've been mixed in with highs in the 40s, which tempts me to still wear flats w/o socks, and a jacket instead of a coat. Last night, however, winter arrived with a vengeance. The temperature dropped, accompanied by snow & wind. I had been at Gina's house, helping maintain some semblance of order at her son's birthday (or y'know, failing at that). I headed home around 8pm, and soon found myself in a long line of stopped cars. A quick check of twitter (I was in park. settle.) told me that Rt 15 was closed due to 10-15 cars off the road. When it became clear that we weren't moving anytime soon…and if we did, I'd likely face pretty harrowing conditions on the trek…I made a careful u-turn and spent the night at G's. 

As I write this, it's 20 degrees, with a windchill of 4. The first bitter cold spell reminds me of all of the preparation that I haven't done…sealing the windows, changing to winter blades, stashing extra gloves in the car, stocking up on chocolate. Yes, that last one is a real thing. The days ahead will be cold, and inevitably dark. This year, I feel uncharacteristically ready….