Minus four at the airport, five on the temperature gauge at the cottage. There is no other way to say it, it is cold.

We left yesterday afternoon for a short trip to the cottage and visit with grandma and grandpa. We picked William up after his merit badge class – Citizenship in the World – stopped at Trader Joe’s and we were headed north by four. Traffic was light; there was no one left in Chicago and if they were here, they were not headed north. It is 360 miles or so, give or take stops. I was grateful for the light traffic but my passengers William, Olivia, and Ivy were all excited and restless. Especially, Ivy she wanted something and barked, whined, and had a hard time settling. I had a difficult time hearing what she wanted: I stopped once, twice, three times and nothing but a lot of sniffing. Finally, she settled down and slept from just west of Grand Rapids until we arrived.

By then it was dark and we reached the snowline. Last week, it had snowed and much of it was still left. The closer we got to the cottage the more snow there was.

By eleven our time, midnight at the cottage, we pulled into the driveway and unloaded. We had called ahead and the drive was cleared, as was the deck, which is nice, especially for grandma and grandpa who arrive late Monday. William took the lead unloading and Olivia took Ivy for a walk. She came back with reports of the snow. It has been so cold the snow has a crust on top and both Ivy and she could walk on top without sinking in. I on the other hand would crash right through, though I won’t temp fate.

It took a bit of persuasion, but we got everyone settled and to bed and we all slept until eight. The kids are out with Ivy, they have been on the lake (as you can see), and they are walking around and exploring just like Ivy. As Willie Wonka said in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory: “There is so much time, and so little to do. Strike that, reverse it.” There really is much to do and time will evaporate. Grandma and Grandpa Weaver are on the road and will arrive later today. It will be great to see them. I brought work, but I would really just enjoy reading, writing, and relaxing – in no particular order. The day like all of the days here will be over and gone before I know it, so I had better get around and get going. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, even at four below zero (and rising)!