My Year of Living: A Suddenly Snowy Sunday (and a Big Fantasy Football Win!)

A little snow and cold changes everything--overnight. The first thing I did this morning on the way to the coffeepot was to consult our indoor-outdoor thermometer: 21 degrees F. Brrr.

Our local meteorologist's blog claims that this has been the coldest November in a decade or so here in West Michigan, after years of warmer falls and later snows. This dusting of snow will melt next week according to projections, but it surely feels like OLD MAN WINTER is upon us. I am not yet ready for him.

I am glad I am not a football game attendee. I watched a little football on a 52-inch screen from the cozy comfort of my couch. (It looks like I, with my "C-" draft report card took out our fantasy football league's "A" report card holder. I was the highest scorer today in our league of 12 and will probably move into 2nd or 3rd place. I am also at the top of the league pick'em. And there is money involved! I had to grab a brand new wide receiver this week to cover a bye. He was projected at 4.35 fantasy points and managed 16.40. Lucky, lucky me.

So anyway, until my blood thickens (thins?) I cranked up the gas fireplace stove in the cold, old aluminum-frame windowed sun room. I unpacked the Sunbeam heated throw that I bought yesterday. I snuggled in.

Last week's rain and wind storm once again took out the electric--but only for a couple of hours. A few people I know went without for days--showering at the health club, sleeping on the floor at the parent's condo, etc.

With our new furnace, new gas stove, new electric blanket and now a new heated throw, I plan to stay toasty all winter. If the electric goes out, I will toast in front of the gas stove which was installed when our furnace failed this past New Year's Day.

The big Husqvarna makes piles, but doesn't bag them.

But I am not finished with the leaves, I protest! Our honey locust tree once again dropped at least 30 bushels of pods--those are mostly now at the yard waste dump. Tomorrow I want to stay indoors--but I need to bundle up and pack up some bags of leaves for a final Tuesday morning pickup. I scavenged 10 free bags at the dump last week (worth $25) so I plan to put them all out on the street.

Honey locust pods land everywhere--many in the gutters.

I have crazy looking tubers and rhizomes drying in the sun room. It is too cold for them in the garage and they need to dry for a week or so before they are packed away in boxes of peat moss in my aunt's root cellar.