Again, With the Brrrr!

Sufficient cloud cover remains that most of the stars are concealed, and the sky is so dark that the outlines of the trees can barely be discerned. When I go outdoors, my pant legs soon turn icy cold, chilling my skin wherever they touch. It feels like deep winter already. There is new snow on the ground at the higher elevations, and rock climbers caught in the early storm have died. Shades of the Donner Party. We seem to have rushed through autumn, just as we rushed through last spring. The weather forecast promises that a few warmer days are coming, and despite my recent complaints about heat, I won't be sorry to see them. Spring and autumn are my favorite seasons precisely because they are apt to be more temperate, and less monotonous, than winter and summer. I hope that this particular blast of frigid air is a fluke, and we can enjoy some of our usual moderation for the remainder of October.

Another six-blanket night, I think.