The morning had a bit of promise when I woke up around 9. The sun was shining, and it was cold but bearable. I put the coffee on and went out to get yesterday’s mail and the newspapers. I noticed much of the ice had melted yesterday, but, true to form, I still managed to find one icy patch and down I went. The mail scattered, and I whacked my elbow enough to make me yell; of course, no one saw or heard me. I stayed there a minute or two then slid over to the street where there was no ice so I could get up without falling again. I managed to get up, grabbed my mail and papers and went inside. My elbow was killing me so I sat on the stairs, held onto it and moaned a bit. Gracie came over and put her head in my lap. That’s just what I needed, a bit of sympathy. The elbow has a huge lump, and I’m sure it will be black and blue, but no bones were broken so it was a good fall. I’d give it an 8.

Snow is coming in what the paper has called historical proportions. Blizzard warnings are in effect in most of the state except here where we have a winter storm warning. It’s a nor’easter which could bring up to two feet or even more, up to 30 inches, of snow. The exact amount is still fluid as the weather pattern could change. Down here on the cape, we’ll have, for a time, a mixture of rain and snow so they’re only predicting about 9 inches for us. The snow will become heavy tomorrow afternoon and evening with 2 or 3 inches an hour falling. I have all my groceries, but I don’t have sustaining weather food: some chocolate or some ice cream (ironic food for a snow storm) or even cookies. Gracie and I are going to the dump later so we’ll stop and pick up a few things.

No mice in the last three days so I’ll have to check the trap to see if I set it right. If the peanut butter is gone, it means the mouse dined without being caught. The trap has to be set exactly right to work, and it takes me a while to do that. I find it frustrating though I can’t argue with the results.

The sun is back as is the blue sky. Mother Nature is giving us a bit of treat before the wallop. She does have an ironic sense of humor!