We've had a bit of snow today, but not enough to make us a winter.  On WCAX tonight there was a report that some sugar makers are getting ready - with the weather warming again next week, they expect the sap will begin to flow.  Make syrup while the sun shines, I guess.  We all know that things could change abruptly and we'll get some real weather.  On the up side, there's no snow in the woods so it's easy for farmers to get around to tap, and might as well give it a shot because there may not be a "normal" maple season in March and April this year.  Fred was reminding me of the year we had mud season start in February.  I'd forgotten - it was when we were living at camp - but it makes it a little less worrisome to know this kind of "winter" has happened before.

We haven't heard anything from my computer since it arrived in Indiana several days ago for repairs.  Fred had offered to set up an older computer for me that still works, but I held off for a little while thinking I would get used to using the laptop.  After a day listening to me complain about finding I'd typed a few dozen words into some previous paragraph because my curser had jumped around and I hadn't noticed, Fred activated the old computer for me - under protest, because I knew I'd have to transfer files - and there's always the chance of losing something.   I can't access the internet with the old computer, so I have both the laptop and the old one operating.  My office looks like "command central", but I can now research on the net and not disturb my work on the regular computer - and I don't have to watch my curser every minute. Trouble is, the laptop is now on the side desk that Woody likes to stretch out on when I'm working.  He came in as soon as we began moving things around and got in the middle of everything, so I brought a folding canvas "director's" chair in for him - I thought it would be very appropriate for a cat that gets his way most of the time.  I put his rug from the desk in it and helped him "discover" it.  He settled down.  Wonderful, I thought.  He's going to adapt.  However, for the rest of the afternoon, every time I left my chair, he would hop into it and I'd come back to find him curled up, sleeping soundly.  He does that with Fred all the time in his office, and Fred will push the chair with sleeping Woody aside and bring in another to use himself.  I'm not that obliging; after all, Woody is a cat, not the King of Everything.  So when he stole my chair, I transferred him to his director's chair.  Next time I left my chair for a minute, he calmly took it over; and I put him back in his chair again.  That happened about four times and the last time I deposited him in his chair, he sat staring at me for a long moment and then hopped out of the chair and hasn't been back since.  That was a couple of days ago, so I guess I'm getting the "cool cat" shoulder. 
I wouldn't want him to know, but I do kinda miss his warm furry presence.