This and that.

Terry and I slept in a little this morning. That means she got up at 7 and I followed a few minutes later. The cats didn't get the message that we had canceled our plans to rise early and head to Rutgers for the game. One (I think it was Julie) started howling at 1:30 AM and another (I think it was Chester) started at 3 AM. Chester took over the alarm duties at 6:30 and insisted we get up to feed the ravening horde. So we obeyed our overlords.

A peek out the window as I was getting dressed revealed 1) there was some snow flurry activity and 2) there were 17 wild turkeys in the yard scratching at the spilled bird seed. They were all fluffed up against the cold (it was 12 degrees) and looked like large medicine balls. I discovered later that if I had my shotgun ready, I could have put one of them in the freezer. Today is the last day of turkey season in our management area. They probably got confused by Leap Year and thought they were safe. They weren't in any particular hurry to leave the yard, either. When I opened the sliding glass door to the porch to put the bird feeders back out, they merely did a quick step off into the woods with no sign of panic.

Terry is feeling much better today and will be heading to NJ to get her Mom tomorrow. Sunday is the best weather day of the week with temps forecast for the low 30s and even--gasp!--sunshine! That ends on Monday when rain becomes snow with some light accumulation forecast for the Aerie.

Mark emails that he visited the Bolt Hole yesterday for a short time. The temperatures were in the single digits and falling. He found the apple orchard full of deer tracks and two beds including one right next to the cabin's wall and propane tanks. He didn't see the deer that made the tracks or slept in the yard but says there was a single set that seemed to be a big buck dragging his toes and splaying his feet. Sounds like the old fishing line of, "You should have been here yesterday!" That's one problem of having snow on the ground. You get to see just what you missed yesterday and/or over night.

[UPDATE: It's a good thing we didn't take that 4 1/2 hour drive to attend the RU game. Terry has become a regular visitor to the Porcelain Goddess and would have felt terrible to be separated from ole 'Merican Standard for any length of time. Besides, I discovered that the ABC affiliate in our area is airing the RU vs Army game.]