It is 17° out there this morning and a really harsh wind is blowing giving us a windchill of 1° . My aviary friends are all puffed up to the max as is the lone squirrel. Every bird and squirrel have been to the bird bath numerous times. As a matter of fact, I had to add a half gallon of water to it this morning, and I had just filled it yesterday morning. I'm not sure if they actually drank that much or if there is more evaporation due the temperature of the water being 40° warmer than the ambient air temperature. I don't actually know if a thing like that occurs but it "sounds smart" to say it.

Yesterday may have been the most relaxing day I have had in years. I did nothing yesterday except relax, have coffee, nap, read from my Stephen King novel, listen to music, and play on my computer. It was a "jammie day" as Julie likes to call it, which means except to shower etc we didn't even get out of our pajamas. I had planned to get a haircut but decided that it was too cold to leave the house. So, if one isn't leaving the house and no one is coming in, --- why get dressed for an occasion that isn't going to happen. If you've never had a "Jammie Day", might I suggest you try it once. It will greatly help you mentally, physically, and spiritually. It gives your mind a chance to breathe. Today, we will get back to life's routines of visiting with Aleen and my mother, going grocery shopping, and yes, getting my hair cut.

I have reached the last third of my novel that I'm reading. That is the point at which Stephen King always draws me in. I find it hard to put the book down. I go to bed at night thinking of scenarios of what might be happening to my characters. With a King novel there is never a guarantee of a happy ending. In fact, more than one of his books have ended with main characters that you are rooting for, -- end up dieing, and sometimes horribly. I hate when he does that; especially if the character is a child as happened in "Cujo". So, now, I'll end up snatching time and maybe reading a few pages at a time. I literally ingest his books when I read them and so, I can put a book down and pick it back up, sometimes months later, and know exactly where I am in the story without character refreshment. It took me two years to get around to finishing "The Stand", but I never lost my place in the story.

It would appear that I need to go out and refill some of the smaller feeders. A couple of them look like they are empty. On the other hand, there is a wealth of seed on the ground below the feeders that they can clean up. All of the large feeders still have plenty of food in them so they are a long way from being in need.

God has provided a brilliant blue sky with a great deal of sunshine today. That will make it seem to be a little warmer anyway. And it will remind me that the warmth of God's love is always there, always surrounding us, always giving light to our souls. For that, I offer my prayers of gratitude this morning. I hope you will be having a very blessed day.