Baby,

It's cold outside!  

And I don't want to hear it from any of you folks up north.  I know this is just another Monday to you, but remember, we aren't built for this.  But that's not the point.  

The point is, it's cold outside.  You want to know how cold?  The ice in the wildlife trough was this thick this afternoon.  

My hand included for scale.  

That photo was taken around 2:00 PM when I went out to scatter some corn for those animals that eat corn.  I don't judge.  This table is open to all who are cold and hungry.  

While I was out there, I took that chunk of ice and tossed it onto the ground, 

but I don't really know why, because it's just going to re-freeze once the sun goes down.  Today's high was 31, and when I got up this morning, the temp here was the same as it was in Fairbanks, Alaska where my sister lives. 

Why yes, I do have all my siblings' towns in my weather app.  Doesn't everybody?  But I had a nice, cheery fire crackling all day and a warm blanket to snuggle under while I was taking it easy today. 

OK, moving right along, my new knitting needles arrived yesterday, 

 and to be honest, I have mixed feelings about that.  While I was glad to have them without having to wait until Tuesday -- today being a holiday and all-- I don't really like that mail is being delivered on Sundays now.  Not having mail delivery on the Lord's Day was our government's last concession to our Judeo-Christian heritage, and now even that is gone. 

But since I had them, I went ahead and cast on another cowl, and have gotten this far while watching the Inauguration. 

Again, I'm not using a pattern, just winging it.  I'd found a pattern somewhere that called for a 40 stitch cast on, only now I can't find it again.  Still, that's what I went with.  I debated on how long to make it, and almost bound off after 8", but decided to go ahead and knit up the whole skein and see how long it ends up being.  

Plus, if it grows in width like the last one did, it'll likely shorten a bit in length.  If it ends up being too long and skinny, I might go back with the 48 stitch cast on that I used in the one I'd made for my friend's brother.  We'll just have to wait and see. 

And finally, I've spent most of the day watching Inauguration coverage, and this is only the second time I've been able to see it live.  Usually I'm at work, and have to watch on YouTube after the fact.  Me, I think it should be a mandatory national holiday so all Americans can watch.  

I'm going to have to go to bed soon, though, because they have us coming in at 4:00 again.  They do everything in the world to make our jobs harder and more labor intensive, then wonder why we can't keep up.  So they just make us work longer and longer hours...

I can't wait to get out of there.