We Actually Like Winter

December and January brought us monster snow piles. The trucks have been hauling a lot of it away from the front of our house to keep the fire hydrant clear. It's pretty out there, provided one can hunker down in a warm house and enjoy the view. February is blowing in tonight as a blizzard, complete with howling wind and frigid temperatures. It's a good time for indoor projects, and we always have plenty of those.

We made a quick January weekend trip to Chicago to see Al, Mindy, and the girls and to see Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind featuring our favorite Neofuturist, Rob Neill, who grew up next door. http://www.neofuturists.org/ Rob lives and works in New York, but he's doing guest performances in Chicago and living at Al and Mindy's for a couple of months.

A Ripon newcomer has taken over two of my Historical Society tasks: Webmaster and Keeper of the Online Obituary Database. The phase-down has begun.

Those are Bill's wood piles and my snowshoe tracks in the woods behind our house.

The Yankee Tipper, with its metal cap, long slippery tube, and spring-loaded base, is the best squirrel-proof feeder we've ever found. The lesson to be learned from squirrels: Never Give Up! This one got tipped off over and over this morning before experiencing the sweet taste of success.