Tonight we are thankful we have a warm home, food and family. We had a low temperature last night of about six below zero with a wind chill as low as minus twenty. We have stayed in the single numbers above zero all day, and now it's six below again already. Nasty weather for any time, but exceptionally miserable for November. I also measured six inches of new snow this morning. Today that snow has been blowing around making blizzard conditions more like mid-January than late November. 
     Diane Rossi wrote this morning that there was still some open water in the big pond. Apparently the wind kept it moving enough so it didn't re-freeze after the brief warming a couple days ago. I'm sure it will freeze over tonight if the wind goes down. Then we're going to warm up into the teens on Friday! A little rain or snow forecast for Sunday, but I'm betting we'll get snow. It seems like winter has settled in for good already.
     I heard gun shots early this morning at around 6:30 in the woods beyond our house. It was still below zero and blowing a gale, so my thought was that I hoped whoever it was out hunting that early in the cold got the buck - weather like this sorts out the real hunters from the cruisers riding around in their pickups all day hoping a deer will jump out at them. Regular hunting ends on Sunday, but then from December 1 - 9 is both bow and arrow and muzzleloader season. It will be interesting to see if the number of deer shot in this year's regular season will be down because of the weather. It's been snowy and cold most of hunting season.
     Enjoy your weekend - shopping tomorrow or whatever, and if you are on the road, remember there could be icy patches and/or snow squalls, so be careful.
     Those of you who are in the sunny spots, be thankful and get out there and enjoy the warmth!! Those of us here at Joe's Pond might just be envying you a tiny bit right now - but we aren't going to admit it. We're used to this kind of weather . . . ! (??)