Monday in Illinois

A couple of weeks ago the temperature was in the upper 60's and lower 70's. Some wondered if it would be an early spring. Make no mistake, the weather and the calendar declare clearly today, it is still winter. My friend and fellow blogger Mike is in Florida, no doubt, basking in the warm weather and seemingly endless sunshine. Last night when we went to be the world here was various shades of brown with hints of green as the plants anticipated spring. Saturday in Rushville, a mere 75 miles or so south, the daffodils were in bloom. A beautiful bit of greenery and yellow bloom against the palate of brown. Welcome to Monday.

 This is the view out our back door this morning. There is something beautiful about a pine tree frosted with snow. The world of brown is bright white today. Local schools are closed. It seems like excessive caution but in their defense I haven't been out on the roads. Perhaps they are worse than I think.

Some folks still had to work. The Ameren meter reader was by this morning. Since our meter is on the back of the house she has to park and walk back to read it. She was stealthy today as Lily and Rose never noticed her pull in or leave.

This one is included because I like the look of snow blowing off a roof.

What do I have planned today? There is a rack of firewood on the right and I intend to feed it to this fire and get more from the garage as needed. Retirement allows me to relax and watch the day go by.

Rose wondered why I was taking pictures and decided she wanted to be included. People ask what kind of dog she is. I usually reply that she is a rescue dog and they can pick a breed they like for her. She is very food motivated so I do sometimes call her a chow hound. One might also add attention whore to her list. She will at times today force me to go outside so she can address her physical needs. She also loves to play in the snow. Me, not so much.