Rural

As winter drags it's ragged edges together to curtain the shortest day of the year... ...I'm sitting at the computer.  Reminiscing, thinking....warming up ...  Chai tea giving off a steady waft of heat, heavy with cream.  Steam from each sip fogging my glasses blurring the sight of the heavy wet snowflakes falling insistently outside our windows.  Bella's tucked up cozily in her basket. Warming up after returning from her escorted day trip outside into the cold.  Now curled up in a catlike semi-circle, grey polka dotted tummy hidden under a turquoise blanket. The glow from reflected snow lights up the inside of the house at this time of year, but it comes courtesy of the white carpet outside.  The unusual warmth accompanying this current snowfall is melting the icicles on the roofline. Our dreams of a short winter have allowed us to be fooled into momentarily thinking it might be February instead of December.  Wishful thinking...but i