In the Bleak Mid-Winter.

1-20-26 SHORT HILLS: “…the earth stood like iron, water like a stone, snow had fallen, snow on snow…” That’s from the hymn ‘In the Bleak Mid-Winter.' That’s pretty much what we’ve got now. I must have Seasonal Affective Disorder, I just want sunshine and warmth at this point. It was different when I skied, then snow was welcome.

We had enough snow last Saturday/Sunday to get the driveway plowed and to cover the ground and the trees and shrubs. We canceled a trip to NYC to see Emmett and his mom and dad on Sunday, but went in on Monday, Martin Luther King Day, with clear roads and little traffic. The kid really has a good vocab now and conversation is easy. We did lunch with Lily and Danna after the visit. More snow is coming this Sunday.

The wind-chill factor is in the single digits now and more snow is expected this coming weekend. The birds have been mobbing the feeders. I saw a bunch of robins in one of the holly trees last week, but all the berries had been eaten, probably by other robins. Robins never go to the feeders and don’t eat the sunflower seeds on the ground under the feeders. I saw one robin today eating juniper berries from the underneath side of the branches because the tops are covered with snow. 

We had dinners with Bette and Lonnie, Bill and Lynn, and Nancy and Alan at various restaurants. 

Our driveway, trees and shrubs with snow.

More snow, the feeders are on the left side.

More snow.

Sunshine after the storm.

Before the snow, a cardinal and several house finches at the feeders.