Keepin' the Faith

Whew! The weather has changed! This weekend has been sunny, and today the temps were in the 40's. So now the layers of ice are turning into huge puddles and lots of slush. But that is a good thing. As I sat in my office today I was enjoying the warm sun coming in the window and listening to the gurgle of melting snow coming down the drain pipe.
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Don has been out chopping on the ice in the Johnson's driveway and in the street. These spots sit constantly in the shade during the winter time, so th snow just continues to sit there. The Johnsons have been in Florida for a couple of months.
They call periodically and tell us about the sunshine, the fishing, the golfing, the barbecuing. Oh, bummer, is that being good neighbors? And here is Don chipping away at their ice, so it won't still be in the driveway when they arrive home in March.

Our neighbors across the way left two weeks ago for Florida. They were staying over night in Valdosta, and Chester suffered a stroke. He was in the Valdosta hospital for a couple of weeks, but was improved enough to fly home yesterday. His brother, I guess, drove their truck back. He is healing, but still has numbness and trouble talking and remembering. I feel terrible for them. They were looking forward to enjoying Florida.

I was going to go down about a block from here and take pictures of their snowman family. They built about ten snowpeople of many sizes in their yard. There were children snow people of all sizes, and something in a rocking chair. When I viewed the scene, whatever was in the rocking chair had fallen out and was merely a blob in the yard. I haven't checked today, but I fear that all the snowpeople are now blobs.
It was so much warmer and sunnier today. Too late for that photograph.

I did try to coax Frankie the cat out onto the porch this afternoon. I even considered sitting out there for a bit in the sun. I was going to do it as a joke for Don when he came in from chopping ice. He has kept telling me all through the coldest days that it wouldn't be long until we would be sitting on the porch! He is disgustingly happy all the time. Anyway, the porch chairs were so tightly wrapped in a tarp, that it was too much trouble for a feeble joke.

Well, today does have me a bit encouraged that somewhere, sometime Spring might make an appearance. While working at the library third floor yesterday there was a sound overhead that sounded like a train going through our book sale room. They said it was ice sliding off the roof. So melting ice, puddles, potholes, slush, and sunshine are all good signs. And, oh yes, tonight there are March-like winds blowing. I shall keep the faith.