;)
I have been very lazy and have yet to dig up any of my winter clothes - if everything hasn't disappeared - or buy new clothing if it has. I was desperate to go on a walk this morning, but with the temperature at -22 (-30 c), I needed some kind of protection.
So I put on an extra sweatshirt, two light jackets and pulled a thin pair of pajama-like cotton pants over my Levi's. In and of themselves, they would not trap much heat, but I reasoned that they would create a layer of air between them and my Levi's and that would be good enough for a relatively short walk. I wouldn't want to be out all day dressed like that, though. Or even for more than just the tiniest while, if there had been a strong wind blowing.
Every single one of my three, good, beaver hats - each worth about $200 - has disappeared, but I found another hat that would do. I had no idea where any gloves were, but my hands are pretty cold-conditioned and I figured that I would be fine if I kept them in my pockets and just pulled them out every now and then to take a picture.
I put on two pairs of socks and then stepped into my regular, kick-around shoes.
As I headed toward the door, I saw these two, engrossed in something going on in Caleb's computer. Little Kalib did not go to daycare today, as he had a bad runny nose, sniffles, and other ailments. Hence, the Kleenix.
On that front, it has now been two weeks since whatever bug struck me, struck me. I hope it was the swine flu, so that I can be done with it. The symptoms read somewhat the same. Probably not, though - that one might still be waiting for me. I am certainly much better than I was two weeks ago, but I remain annoyingly congested and I have a cough that goes away and then comes right back again.
;)
So I walked, and soon I saw a shaft of light falling through the trees, down the road. I could hear a car coming, so I got ready and shot the picture, just as the shadow entered it.
;)
I rounded the corner, walked up the road, then turned around to see what my shadow looked like. I was surprised to see that it was frightened. "Don't shoot!" it shouted silently. "Please! Don't shoot! I have a wife, and kids! And a grandson! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
Silly shadow! I didn't even have a gun.
;)
Shortly after I topped the hill and started to head down, a school bus rolled past the end of the road and the way the light looked coming through its window's was amazing. I tried to take a picture, but the pocket camera was just too damned slow.
Sometimes, a school bus will go by and another will soon follow. So, hoping this might happen, I stopped, raised my camera and waited.
After about 15 minutes, none had come. I noticed that my bare fingers were starting to go numb. So I decided to photograph the very next vehicle that came along and call it quits. It was this UPS van. I put my camera back in my pocket, tucked my hands in, too, and headed on, hoping that I might find some moose in the marsh.
;)
I didn't, but even before I got to the marsh, I saw the tracks of a snowshoe hare.
;)
And then two ravens flew over me.
;)
At 4:00 PM, I took my coffee break and here I am, on it, driving down Pittman.
Still on my coffee break, passing by the fire-station. I liked the way it looked, but the damn camera would not focus. Oh well. I took the picture anyway.