Brrrrrr. The bottom is dropping out of the temperature here tonight. I guess we will be seeing readings at -5 to -15. There's been a brisk wind most of the day and that made it really cold. The lowest reading overnight was -10.1, and the lowest wind-chill temperature was -25.4. It may be colder tonight, by all reports, but the wind seems to have died down.

In the meantime, we've gained another 6 inches of snow. My stake is showing just over 1 foot of snow! It's very light and dry, so it blew around a bit, but most of the trees are still snow covered and beautiful.

The Sherwoods made it home safely yesterday. Don said they were very aware of it being Friday the 13th - they were first delayed about 30 minutes in Danville where there was an accident yesterday morning, then were slowed by heavy snow squalls in Massachussetts. They were fine until about half an hour from their ferry when they were again delayed, this time by a tree and downed power lines. The ferry was running late because of rough seas, but they finally made it home ok.

We just spoke with our friend who is returning tomorrow from Alaska, and it looks good for her flight. She said in Anchorage, there is a record amount of snow, but nowhere near the snowfall that has fallen in Cordova, not far from them. The temperature is about the same as it is here right now. It was around zero when we spoke with her, and that was about 12:30 p.m. their time.

A while back there was some discussion about the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Trouble with Harry" having been partially shot at what is now the Burtt farm in Cabot. I got in touch with my cousin whose grandparents owned that farm at the time, to see if she had any recollection. She didn't, but she contacted a cousin on the Walbridge side of her family and found out they did film some of the scenes there. Here is the YouTube clip I had found, and the broad valley scenes (and the sugarwoods) certainly could be that farm.

YouTube, The Trouble With Harry

Someone sent me a "forward" today, and while I generally don't read these things, because I rarely get them from this person, I looked at it. It was about all the products that are manufactured in China (or Mexico) we all use and expect to find costing less because they are not made in USA; however, some, like Hallmark cards, are made in China and we pay a premium price. There were some other products mentioned, but the point is, many products that are made right here actually sell for less - so it makes sense to check where our products are made and compare prices. With money tight for most of us, it hardly makes sense to pay more to support overseas economies.

I watched "Apocalypse Now" this afternoon. I'd somehow missed that movie - released in 1979. It was long and gory, and the horror of war it depicts was a strong political statement back then - and even now seems relevant. It's certainly not for everyone but it was interesting to see Charlie Sheen as a youngster and Marlon Brando, who was in his prime then. Harrison Ford was in it, too, and Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall and several other familiar names; but I didn't recognize the faces of some of them because they were all so young. It occurred to me that some of Charlie Sheen's antics in the not-too-distant past may have been a throw-back to when he made that picture . . . It isn't one I'll want to watch again anytime soon, I expect, but I'm glad I saw it just the same.

Now I'm going to get some supper ready and spend the evening by the fire. I've already pulled the window quilts across the windows, which is no easy task with Woody insisting on being on the windowsill. I had him neatly velcroed in at one window before I noticed his silhouette showing faintly against the outside light. He seems to think the heavy curtains are great fun and velcro a challenge for him to undo. He's a bit of a pest on days like this when it's too cold for him to venture outside or even into the garage.

Be warm and safe.