Now this is winter

I woke up this morning to more snow. Snow piled high on the car, and still more falling from the sky. Finally all is right in this very small corner of the world, and winter has returned to its senses. And yes, Didi -- the kids have school today.

I do not love the deep cold of winter. From November to May I can be found wearing at least three layers of clothing and if it's really cold -- a hat -- inside. I don't embrace snowball fights and the making of snow forts and snowmen as the girls do. But there is something very unnatural about 50 degree weather in the middle of January. And as much as I love spring and warmth; it bugged me.

This winter, and I use that term lightly, I have become a Weather Channel junkie. I admit it. If given the choice between Days of Our Lives and The Weather Channel, I pick the later. Why you ask? (Or why not?) The reason being if the weather turns to the high 40's during the day for a period of 10 days or more, the maple trees get the idea that spring is coming and the sap starts to run. If it warms up more, the leaf buds swell and and maple sugaring season is over. This year, I thought the season was going to come and go before February! I found myself marking days off on the calendar and wondering if it was prudent to just set one tap and see if the flow had started.

I even discussed this with my dear Vermont-born husband. He is not the sugarer in this family, but he too was starting the worry. We both agreed that since we only tap 9 trees (and not the hundreds that one taps up in Vermont) to risk losing a producer due to the return of winter was a bad idea. So the taps are still in the garage with the buckets. And I am trying to relax and go with nature's flow.

Of course, this is much easier to do with 10 inches of snow on the ground.