First frost

Not long after the sun went down yesterday, I decided to check the Weather Channel to get a handle on just how cold it was scheduled to get overnight and this morning. What I spotted surprised me because, prominent on the opening page for our town, was a lurid red box with large black letters. These read: FREEZE WARNING. Oy! I had figured that it would be chilly, but I hadn't counted on a real frost. Given how unreliable the WC has been on the forecast front, particularly with regard to rain, I half-thought about just ignoring to dire prognostication. By nine, however, it was in the upper 30s, so I brought everything that might be damaged into the house or, at least, under cover, and started a fire to keep the house warm. It was a good decision. At daybreak, the maximum-minimum thermometer registered 28, and on my sunrise walk, many of the leaves wore the characteristic silver filigree of ice mischief overnight. I walked faster than usual to generate my own heat, and when I stopped from time to time to record the sparkling signature of the first frost, I rued my decision not to bring a hat and light gloves. For the first time since last March, I really needed my cold-weather gear. It was clearly time to prepare for the inevitable.