Rain . . .

Ptarmigan, Alaska state bird, can keep its body temperature at 104 degrees even when temperatures drop to nearly 30 below. In winter it grows feathers that cover its legs and feet and is almost pure white. In summer its plumage changes to this brownish gold.

Not very windy today but it sure is raining. That makes perfect sense since we had the garden plowed and the rain will cause the winter rye that was turned under to grow instead of rot and fertilize! Just more work for the agriculturally inclined. So what!

Went up to Zip's this morning and helped our nice waitress who lives in Plainfield decide how she's going to plant her vegetable garden in a raised bed. Her husband isn't being helpful and the kids won't eat what she plants but we enjoined her to be positive. Just throw the stuff in the ground with some Miracle grow and let it go. I'll bet she has a grand time and will have to give some of her harvest away! Will go do a little food shopping today. We're always running out of milk! I must be going through about a gallon myself and Grampa always needs a small container of "red cap" for his coffee.

Had a superb dinner with younger brother and his wife yesterday evening. Even stayed out over two hours! Yikes, Puppy's Pop is getting civilized! We had some wonderful St. Croix wine from a winery in Ledyard. J. helps the man who owns the vineyard and gets paid in kind. Very cool. It was a nice red wine, smooth and tasty. Very easy on the palate. Yes, indeedy, we did enjoy it. Now I'm begging to go to the vineyard! For dinner J. cooked up some scallops and cod fish with mashed potatoes, a la Pa and a nice fresh mixed salad. Just perfect. I'm not a great fish eater but I had to go in for seconds. It was that delicious.

Will be going to Groton later in the day. Hoping middle child's ankle problems are going to be taken care of! A bit stubborn, that child!

Quote: What stories of sentiment in that butt of raciest Sherry! What a fund of pensive thought! What suggestions for delicious remembrance! What "aids to reflection" in the Hock of a century old! What sparkling fancies, whirling and foaming, from a stout body of thought in that full and ripe Champagne! What mild and serene philosophy in that Burgundy, ready to shed "its sunset glow" on society and nature! __Talfourd