Blizzard

 Blizzard

A mantle of wind-whipped white blankets the world.

Snow all day, and all night.

“All day” sounds long, but it’s winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

The sun there was made no difference, for the clouds thick with snow extinguished its light.

Snow and more snow, all day and all night.

Then the wind took over to make it snow even when it wasn’t.

Frigid blasts chilled one’s skin from -8 degrees to -35, if, heaven forbid, you had to go outside.

White-out and wind-chill.

Cold to the bone.

Glad we have all our holiday shopping done.

Pity those who don’t.

Not a creature is stirring in my house, except to dig deeper under the covers.

Or maybe bake some bread, anything to turn that oven on.

But, take heart, it’s only the eve of the eve of Christmas.

The temperature is supposed to be +9 by then, a holiday heat wave.