Frostbite and green grass

I was recently bullied into getting a Facebook account. What possible use could I get out of it? I'm not a pimply-faced kid fluent in texting and covered in piercings and tattoos.

But I now have to grudgingly admit that it's actually been a good thing. I have found out that a high school classmate from our very small town in Colorado now runs a dive shop in Costa Rica. Yes, this might come in very handy some day.

And I've learned that my niece Emily is insane (but in a perky way that only a teenager can pull off).


This is a picture of her (in the middle) with two friends right after they participated in the Polar Bear Plunge in Maryland's frostbite-infested Chesapeake Bay. This involved getting into a swimsuit and wading into the water, pushing the icebergs out of the way as they went. I don't know why they are smiling - maybe their faces just froze that way - but they managed to raise a fair amount of money for Special Olympics. And got to see the official mascot - a guy dressed in a panda bear (really!) costume.

In any case Emily, you are FAR braver (if that's the right word) than me and we are all proud of you. Just typing this makes me need a roaring fire and a cup of cocoa though.

This week's rain has done wonders for the hills around here - they are all turning a beautiful green. I took Idiot Dog Teddy (IDT) for a walk yesterday out at Bayfront Park.


This involved dodging lots of muddy puddles, but IDT loved running through the rapidly growing grass, stopping every now and then to graze a bit. Our winters involve looking at leafless trees, just like in the areas that truly get cold, but this is balanced out by the amazingly lush green hills.

And a complete lack of panda bear-induced icy plunges.

That's it - move along...