Ridiculous to Sublime

High temperature on Monday, January 10th = 33 and this is the scene in the front yard

High temperature on Friday, January 14th = 55 and this is the scene in the backyard! 

Early Spring?

We had snow last night--wet, heavy snow that coated EVERYTHING and made the dogwoods look like they were in bloom.  It's unusual for us to get snow without wind, so the world looked quite magical this morning.  And the snow was capricious, only falling in Bellingham and just a few miles south...also unusual.  It's usually the north county that is hit hard by deep snow and blowing winds.  And...the forecast calls for more towards the end of the week.

Story-telling At Its Best

My newest favorite read is BLIND YOUR PONIES by Stanley Gordon West.  According to the blurb on the back cover, Mr. West has sold his books "single-handedly from bookstore to bookstore!"  I'm only a fourth of the way through his current book, and I'm already a fan.  There is nothing "new or culturally relevant" in this book, just the time-worn struggle of individuals forging their paths through life and dealing with the hands they have been dealt.  But Mr. West threads his loom with winsom characters,  uses the reader as the weft and then weaves a tale that, I for one, can't leave behind.  He's a master!