I like the feeling of a day before a winter storm, even if I'm concerned about my top heavy butterfly bushes and the poor old trees in the graveyard getting through a quarter inch of ice. I have new candles if the power goes out; some of my lights are battery operated. The sky is perfectly white and still. The birds are very active; my crows are even pushier than usual as they beg for snacks. 

It's the 14th, so that means I've had 14 fires and have 8 more to go. I told myself "write about something happier" for this post because I really have been in a funk about the house, and this is my happier thing. It's a nice meditation. The fires are beautiful and they are warm.