12 Degrees And No Snow, For Now

Cross Country Skiing Off Of Victoria

Ah, The Sun and Blue Skies

Ice Fishing Straight Off Of Our House

7:25

Up at 6:00, to a cold morning, a pitch black house, though it's supposed to get into the low 30's later today before the storm arrives, ice pellets tonight, five inches of snow tomorrow. We will have to wait and see how accurate the report is.  I don't look forward to any snow melt.

Like Tuesday, we left for our workouts around 9:45.  Evie had a good work out at the YMCA, loves using her ITOUCH with Pandora Radio at the gym, and they now have music geared to working out.  Interestingly, the New York Times had an article that suggested that music can fool the brain and body into either walking or running faster.  The brain usually prefers the easier way but when music is added, somehow the body is fooled and the pace can pick up without the brain realizing it.  "Music may be the one of the best ways to affect the pace of your running or walking, especially if you are trying to maintain a pace with which you are not familiar, or which feels awkward." This is something that those of us who run or walk have intuitively understood, why we love working out with music but now physiologists have discovered why music helps during a physical activity.

Much of the afternoon the sun was out, dazzling us with the whiteness of a snow filled lake, the blueness of the sky, so different from the usual gray.  We decided we had to get out and cross country ski so we put on our skis and went for about forty five minutes, down towards Wells Bay and back.  Surprisingly, it was bitter cold despite the sun, so that heading back to the house, into the wind,  was very uncomfortable, and both of our faces were bright red when we came inside.

We had an easy dinner, of soups, left over pork and sauerkraut, and a couple of hot dogs, to fill us up.  We watched the two hour return of Smash, the program about the making of a Broadway musical and all the problems, personal and financial, that go along with its making.  We are not sure we are going to enjoy it this year, as it seemed a bit silly, like a soap opera, with all the infidelities and hurt feelings, but we will stick with it for a couple of more weeks.  And we watched more of House of Cards, as Francis Underwood continues to shock us with his Iago like schemes, this time including a murder of a fellow Congressmen.  And his wife, Lady Macbeth like, supports him at the same time that she undercuts him for her own benefit.  Could he eventually become the Vice President?  That seems to be what he is aiming for.

It's now 7:30, and I have walked out side to pick up our paper, noticed that for the first time in awhile I will not have to clear my wind shield of snow or ice.  Also, the ice fishermen are already set up off of Long Point, despite the frigid temperatures.

Finally, the picture below appeared on the front page of the Post Journal yesterday morning, comforting all Chautauqua residents, knowing that soon many more of our residents will be armed and ready to protect us.