Well, I admit to a certain schadenfreude concerning bad winter weather.

We're bracing for some.

(Aside: I feel kind of guilty for chanting "I get the evening off! I get the evening off!" and cabbage-patching a little after a phone conversation with my Youth Group co-leader wherein we decided that as the ice may be arriving sooner than expected, and that we are under a severe thunderstorm and tornado watch, it was best to cancel youth group for tonight. But it is nice to not have to worry about being out in the weather).

It's dropped at least 25 degrees in the past hour or so.

And here's the view off to the northwest:


The dark blob in the sycamore (center of picture) is one of the friendly local turkey vultures.

You can see how dark the clouds are; they've broken up a bit now. I don't think we're going to get the severe thunderstorms or tornadoes that were predicted (but I could be wrong) but I do think we will still get some ice.


And this is the view to the south. Just moments before I snapped this shot the sun was out. It looks darker than it actually was. You can see the silhouettes of mistletoe bunches in the tree to the left of center in the picture.

The front is in the process of passing through, there are dark lowering clouds just about everywhere now.

I'm ready if it gets bad. My car is safely garaged (and I filled it up with gas although if the weather's really bad I won't be going anywhere). My hoses were put away a week or so ago and I have the little styrofoam caps on the spigots to protect them. I refilled the bird feeder near my abelia bush (the little birds hang out in there because it's protected and the bush is an evergreen so there's good "thermal cover" as my friend the ornithologist says). I have plenty of food and even plenty of milk and besides, I expect the bad-bad weather to be gone by Friday afternoon at the very latest. And I have nice warm cozy pajamas at the ready, and a wool-filled quilt on the bed...

Like I said, it's a bit of schadenfreude because I know there are people who are going to have to be out in the bad weather (the O G and E guys* if the power goes out, the sand-truck drivers, EMTs, cops, people like that) but it is kind of pleasurable to have everything all battened down and not have to be out in the weather, so I can just sit at home and watch The Weather Channel and feel a little smug about my safety.

(*and I have to say I really love the O G and E guys - everyone I've EVER dealt with at that utility have been competent and nice and helpful and cheerful. And in at least one case gone beyond the call of duty to help.)