Mini-thaw

Winter Storm Pandora did more than bring more snow to the ridge. The storm also pulled in a brief spell of warmth—a taste of the January thaw a month late. The snow and ice started to melt as temperatures shot up into the low 40s, and all the maple syrup makers rushed outside to get their collecting equipment ready to harvest liquid manna and turn it into sweet gold. I don't think I'll be joining them this year. We already have plenty of very good store-bought maple syrup (the real stuff, not thickened sugar water), and I just don't seem to have the requisite time right now. About the best I could do this afternoon was carve out a few minutes for a walk. There are puddles outside in the street, even a mini-creek. As I slosh downhill, I discover that my waterproof boots aren't living up to their name. When I get home, I'll dry them—and my feet—out by the fire. In the warmth, I'll look for culprit holes and see if I can plug the gaps.