It’s been crazy cold and I got the flu or whatever it is that stuff the head with an ache that drizzles down the body, weakens the drive to do anything, compels one to reach for chocolate and look for a chair... brings a sore, dry, itchy throat, a lingering aggravated cough, and an inability to get out of bed on time or tolerate coffee or complex food.

The crocks banging has my hands and arms aching, the chiseling of ice and heating of water and the constant changing of frozen for thawed water has me in a daze where time loses day and time and the plastic wrap forces me to open the doors to recheck the crocks for food and water because I can not remember if I have re-watered again.  One of the particularly frigid days, it took watering three times before the darkness forced me back inside.

I don’t have any pictures of this beautiful storm; somehow I didn’t feel up to more than just enjoying the beauty -- capturing it for eternal reflection just wasn’t on the agenda, although I would like to have some pictures now of the rain barrels with ice 27 inches deep along the walls, in three inch layers.  and how silly is it to look at rabbits in hutches covered in plastic?

I got a big truck to take me out yesterday, but today I have to walk out again.  Monday I have a crew going out to help further insulate the Salon, so we can stay there more comfortably, as it was riveting when the new firewood refused to burn and the blasting wind seemed to open and expand the cracks and holes in the hardwood wrap of the small framed hovel.  I love it out there, with the snow deep and quiet, the deer and owls and the hawk came in close and low calling out for some prey to self expose.  My dogs do a decent job at chasing away much of the peace, but in this blistering cold, they hunker down inside their own houses, in the beds of straw, and are remarkably silent though the night.