A Winter Wonderland

First, I apologize for the lack of an Executive Board report today. Yesterday afternoon around 4 I was sitting in the lobby at 52 Broadway when I got an email saying our meeting was canceled due to weather conditions. I hopped in my car and spent two hours driving home in miserable rain, snow and whatever else you call what was happening out there. Happily, I made it without incident.

This morning was something else altogether. I have a ritual of walking my dog Toby every morning between 5 and 5:30 AM. Toby thinks that's too early, but usually I feed him beforehand. He's highly motivated to get up no matter what the hour when food is involved. Toby will eat almost anything, but he's quite fond of Freshpet tender chicken with vegetables and brown rice.

We always walk up the sidestreets to the canal, which people call the Nautical Mile. I'm not sure it's really a mile, but it's a great walk, especially when it's as beautiful as it was today. A lot of blogs I write are composed during these walks. I always run the ideas before Toby. Unless he

objects strenuously, I usually go with these ideas.

To the right you can see the park we usually walk through. There's a little house there that seems to hold supplies for the rent-a-yacht that you see parked there. I don't know how much you have to pay to ride on it, but in weather like this you'd have to pay me more than that to take it. In the summer, Toby and I often see crowds waiting to get on the boat. He stops and tries to say hello to everyone. He feels that God placed every single person there to give him attention. A lot of the crowd feels the same and obliges him, but not all.

Personally I don't trust people who don't like dogs. It's like not liking the Beatles, but I suppose there are those people too. Now generally, I don't love snow. I wasn't loving it last night on the long slog home. But this morning it was absolutely gorgeous. The snow blowing in my face and fogging up my glasses didn't bother me at all. Of course I have a pretty good winter coat. We dog-walkers take special care to have clothing for all occasions. I don't know whether or not the post office really goes out in snow, sleet, or dead of night, but dog walking is every day, several times a day, and no exceptions.

Here we're approaching a Christmas tree that represents the most festive portion of our journey. Fortunately, at 5 AM the home owners have their music off. However, if you go by here at 5 PM, they have a constant procession of muzak versions of Christmas carols they share endlessly. It's cute for a minute, but the people who live in the condos across the street have to listen to many, many minutes and often complain to Toby and me. I understand. In the summer, we often hear Mr. Softee trucks playing that calliope theme over and over again. It's maddening. I'm fairly certain if I worked on a Mr. Softee truck I'd turn quickly suicidal.

Nonetheless, it's absolutely gorgeous out there. Unless, of course, you have to drive to work. If you have to do that, I have to warn you it's quite slippery out there. Be very careful and take extra caution. Of course, if you're smarter than I am, you probably stayed home this morning.

In any case, I wish you a great day, and I hope you get outside and enjoy this beautiful snow!