Dec 20 - last day of Fall

It was an email from Marda that reminded me that today is the last day of Fall. Her pictures of the snow in Philadelphia capped Fall in that area. New York is getting it today.

Tomorrow is the first day of winter ... time to go south, right ? No, these snowbirds are heading north and west. duh ... there's I've said it. It's snowing now, lightly, gently, accumulating ever-so-slowly, covering the glistening ice out front, covering the roads between here and Britt for my trip back from Mass, reducing visibility ... what fun !

I'm still undecided as to the route for tomorrow. I've found that on my weatherchannel.com site there are actual readings for all the roads, from bare and dry to center bare to variable to snow covered to closed. I didn't see any closed roads but the close-to-the-lake route on highway 17 is mostly center bare. The northern route is mostly bare and dry. The morning's Doppler and the road conditions will help me decide. Truth be told, all things equal, I'd take the northern route. It's different and neat. Sandy's never traveled that route but has been on highway 17 a few times now ... well maybe twice. Past Thunder Bay we do have two possible routes but highway 16, the more northern route, is shorter. There is not that much difference between the routes -- although as I say that, I don't know for sure since we've never been on either. Let's put it this way, from the map, looking at google, there doesn't seem to be much difference !

Anyway -- I've pumped up the tires, moved the minnows indoors, so we'll see if they survive until we get back -- still no action on the ice fishing rigs though; moved some presents and the skis up to the car; we've both packed our ski bags and mostly packed our small bags; Sandy has done a wash; we have yet to pack some wine, the cooler, the food bag, but they don't take long. Time's a-flying by. Heck, it'll be dark in a little more than two hours since it's already 1:48 !

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Well, it's 5am. I just checked the road conditions and the Doppler and we're going to hit snowy roads no matter which route we take. I'll likely opt for the follow-the-lake route, rather than the "desolate" route, since the southern route is more than likely tended quicker than the northern route. Perhaps the northern route will be our way back in a few weeks time ... perhaps not.

It's cold. The thermometer is showing 6F but the temperature is dropping. It's supposed to be 2F but sunrise, but we'll be on the road before then. Sandy just got up ... I've had my coffee ... it's time to feed Abby and me, make my sandwiches, do the last minute packing, move the car out of the barn down to the house for last minute loading, and "hit the road, Jack".

Onward, northward, westward, snow-ward !