Back To Winter

8:10

Snowing At 8:34

It's 7:42, and I've been up for over an hour after waking at 5:30 and staying in bed until 6:20. I suppose I got too much sleep the night before. It's getting colder—29º—and the temperature will continue to drop throughout the day, with snow or sleet expected. That's fine, though, because today is a football fan's dream: NFL playoff games at 1:00, 4:30, and 8:00.

Dobbins Woods Trail

Saturday turned out better than I'd anticipated when I woke up. I slept in until 8:00, so the blog wasn't up until around 9:30. We were in no hurry, so by 10:00 I'd read the New York Times, browsed Facebook, had my coffee, written the blog, and eaten breakfast. Then we got busy gathering the trash and cleaning out the refrigerator before I drove to the Transfer Station. I wanted to get in a hike, so afterward I drove to Dobbins Woods, hoping it would be decent—not too icy or wet. It was both, but I wore my crampons for safety. The hike alternated between leaf-covered paths, which were easy to navigate, and numerous foot-wide boardwalks often covered with snow or ice, making them feel like an obstacle course. Thankfully, my hiking poles helped me keep my balance. I was out for forty minutes, walked maybe a mile and a quarter, and felt righteous by the end.

Crossing A Wetlands On A Snow Covered Boardwalk

Snow Covered Bridge

I was home by noon. Evie had been putting together a stir-fry for dinner, but when I got out of the car, our neighbor Jeff walked over and invited us to dinner. Of course, we accepted. We'll have the stir-fry tonight instead. Lunch was a couple of ham, cheese, and tomato sandwiches on Dave's Killer Organic bread—our new favorite. Afterward, we both lounged around reading, watching TV, or napping until late afternoon, when we showered and got ready for dinner.

We drove the 200 yards to Jeff and Nancy's because of the icy roads and rain. They welcomed us to a make-your-own-pizza party with our other neighbors, Jim and Barb. They have a wonderful island in their kitchen that easily seats four or more, and we spent the evening gathered around it. We started with Tom and Jerry's, which took me back to the 1950s when my grandfather would make them on New Year's Day for family and neighbors. 

Make Your Own Pizza With Woodlawners

We talked about holidays with family—Jeff and Nancy had been in Florida with their son Taylor, while Jim and Barb were in Cleveland with theirs. Nancy had the dough already made, so each of us created our own pizza with various toppings. The crust was perfect, as were the toppings. After the Tom and Jerrys, Jeff kept our wine glasses full. Their house has been in Nancy's family for ages and was renovated a few years ago, keeping much of the older character while modernizing it beautifully for entertaining. By 8:45, we'd both had a bit too much to drink and thought we'd better head home. We said our goodbyes and thank-yous—it had been a fun evening. When we got back, Evie went straight up to bed while I stayed up and watched the first half of the Packers-Bears game before joining her. It ended up being a great Saturday, with a hike and dinner with neighbors.