Winter is Here!

Winter arrives wearing galoshes over Wonder Bread bags covering old socks.

A scarf around its neck and mittens connected by a string so they are not lost in the snow.

Beneath it's parka - a bright white sweater with crystal buttons - ready for snowball fights, Christmas parties, and New Year's celebration.

Ice.  Snow.  Howling wind.
Cold.  Bitter. Freezing. Cold.
Blue fingers and pimpled flesh,

As this blog goes "live" at 11:11 Central Standard Time, we are officially in winter.

The sun is over the Tropic of Capricorn, 23 degrees south of the equator.  It's at it's farthest point south, and slowly starts climbing north.

March 20th at 11:57a.m. it gets half-way back when it reaches the equator.

There is a long way to go.

Snow days, slippery roads, teasing glimpses of sunshine betray bitter cold. 

January and February are usually the coldest months,  But with each day, the sun shines a little brighter than the day before... and soon will give way to a someday of melting snow, dripping ice, and tender shoots of daffodils and crocus with the arrival of spring!

Welcome to winter.