Rain, Sleet And Snow

7:34

It's 7:45, and I've been up for an hour, watching the sky turn from dark to gray. Our yard remains blanketed in snow, but the lake has turned gray, beginning to melt as the temperature hovers between the 30s and 40s. By 8:00, as I look outside, sleet or snow begins to fall, just as predicted.

Tuesday returned us to routine, especially for Evie. We were both up by 7:15, on our devices with a couple of cups of coffee in hand. Evie then showered and got ready for school while I finished the blog and waited for her to read it before she left. I wanted to go on a hike, but I wasn't sure where to go—it depended on whether the trails had been groomed by snowmobiles or cross-country skiers. 

Trail Marker

I decided to drive over to Long Point State Park, hoping for the best. Just as I arrived, it started to pour, so I sat in my car for five minutes until it let up and finally stopped. The trails were initially marked only by cross-country ski tracks, making for tough going until I reached the major trails, where someone had pulled a sled or something similar, making walking easier. The highlight of my hour-long hike was spotting three deer. They stood perfectly still while I photographed them, and even when I moved on, they remained motionless.

Sun Appears Just As I Start My Hike

Trail Marked By Cross Country Skiers

Deer

Three Poised To Run

Head Shot 

I was home by noon, heated up the leftover spicy eggplant and rice, and watched the first half of the final episode of Prime Suspect. Chief Inspector Tennison is set to retire in a couple of weeks, and this will be her last case and the end of the series. Evie returned around 2:30, energized by her time with the kindergarteners—nothing like hugs and appreciation. I then went upstairs for a brief nap. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and by 5:00, Evie was on a Zoom call with her sisters.

Foggy Afternoon

After the call, we had an easy dinner: schnitzel sandwiches with mayo and tomatoes, paired with Boulder potato chips made with avocado oil—we discovered them at my son Tom's house in Kansas City. Delicious. We're still deep into our series, All Saints, and I'm not sure we'll watch anything else until it's over—493 episodes! Once Evie went up to bed, I finished Prime Suspect. It ended beautifully, with Helen Mirren skipping her retirement celebration and simply walking out the door.

* I am beginning to ask Chat CPT to polish my blog, but today I used Claude, another AI website. I know it's cheating, but at my age, I need it! Do you notice any difference?