Lights Out

Still snowless, the night resounds to gusty winds which cast raindrops clattering against the window, while pines emit moans and the creaky mulberry branch scrapes the rain gutter to make the eaves shudder. For a while, thin fog drifted here and there while the rain yet fell. I listen for the silence which might indicate the beginning of snow, but it hasn't come. Sometimes, snow only begins to fall after dawn, so I still might wake to a white world. Snow or not, it will be the fourth consecutive day on which we have not seen the sun. I begin to feel as though I am in Seattle.

Super Wet

Is the Internet full, or is it just my ISP being cranky? It took forever even to open the page at Google. When Googling takes forever, things are slow. Or maybe my telephone box is getting wet. I'll have to go out and check its rain hat. I forgot to put a new one on it this year.

I've been thinking that the traditional New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square ought to be replaced with a different ceremony. It would be a globe in a hand basket, with a big fire representing Hell at the bottom of the pole. The distance the ball drops and the speed with which it falls would represent the deterioration in global conditions during the preceding year. But now I realize that the Times Building (or former Times Building) just wouldn't be tall enough to measure 2004's descent. In fact, there probably isn't a tall enough building anywhere in the world. Besides, the speed of the plummet this year would be so great that there'd be no time of a countdown. The assembled throng would barely be able to shout out "ten" before they'd smell their hair singeing. Not a viable idea, I guess.

No potholes have opened in the street yet, but I expect them to begin appearing at any time. Well, I've always wanted a view of the river. Now I've got one.