Well, maybe. Still mostly very green. Is this January 19th or not? Last year, we had over a foot of snow to deal with. All day, yesterday, there were intermittent flakes flying around. This all happened right before dawn. By noon, we will be up to 40 degrees, and "spring" will have returned. Enjoy it while it lasts, but no shoveling this time. Hooray.

This basket holds what is supposed to be Calvin's drinking-straw collection. It was exclusively his own until a week ago, when little Kona (above) learned she could jump from the top of a chair back, and then onto the wooden cabinet on which the basket sits. After imitating Calvin's method of picking up straws in his mouth and tossing them down to the floor, five feet below, Kona grew tired and decided that a "straw mattress" made a comfortable bed. Usually, such antics are completed before we can fetch a camera, but not this time. Now, the two cats take tolerant turns with this new toy, and one tosses while the other chases the colorful straws across the kitchen floor. Occasionally, Kristin gathers them all up, and the game starts over again, and again.