It snowed last night. Probably a half foot. That ended a week where we could see the grass in the yard, and more importantly the grass on the hill which slopes steeply upwards to the private right-of-way, which, in turn descends precipitously, through two hair-pin curves to the state road. It was just as well I got to the grocery last week.

When we got up this morning we saw that the cat didn't eat the treats we put out before bed time every night. Maybe she's anticipating rationing now, if spring arrives late.

This winter hasn't been too bad. Or wouldn't have been if the truck had started on the one day in January that a heavy rain cleared the hill. Luckily, my work comes in and goes out over the phone line. Through that thin wire vanishing into the pines, I have access to everything I need, including law libraries.

The snow might not last long this time of year. Already big clumps are dropping from the trees. I'm reminded of my sixth grade teacher's writing advice. "Similes can be good," she told the class, "but if you use one make sure it's appropriate. You wouldn't want to say, for example, the snow was falling like big scoops of vanilla ice cream."

True enough, but that might not be a bad description for the way it's coming off the branches now.