We are continuing to pack for our Journey West, but we have delayed it once again until early next week until after the winter storm brewing in the Midwest has passed by. We expected to see some snow here from the lake effect, but so far we have dodged a bullet and have seen nothing. Just to show you how fickle lake effect snow can be, here is a picture of our neighborhood earlier this afternoon:

And 14 miles to the south with an elevation gain of approximately 800', here is the Cassadaga cabin:

That’s about 7" of snow as of 8:00 AM EST. More has probably fallen since then. I’m quite grateful that nothing has fallen at home, as my lower back has been acting up and is very tender at the moment, not in any shape to handle a snowblower. At least, though, the snowblower now has chains, so hopefully it will be easier to move forward. I’ll be glad to get out of this!

Over the years, our family has made a joke about the coincidental fact that, every time we plan a vacation or try to do something fun and interesting, weather always seems to get in the way and make the planned vacation far less enjoyable. Seldom have we gone traveling and had really good weather while doing so. So here we are, getting ready for another attempt at traveling out west for some sun and warmth, and wouldn’t you know it - the forecast for snow and arctic temperatures is arriving just as we are getting ready to set out.

I don’t enjoy driving in the snow any more than the next person, so I am trying to set our travel schedule so that we can miss the upcoming snow events. There are apparently two back-to-back snow makers on the horizon for this week, and so the choice seems to be threading the needle between the two, or waiting until the second one goes through and leave then. This makes reserving rooms for the trip very difficult. I’ve already rescheduled one round of rooms, but I have to decided if I’m going to reschedule again so we leave after the 5th. There seems to be a break in the action after that, although the temperatures are predicted to be in the teens by then across a lot of the eastern half of the country. I don’t like relying on weather reports this far out, but the accuracy of weather forecasting is getting better and better, and it’s hard not to look at what’s coming and say “not gonna happen.” The waiting game really sucks.

The sad part is that all the snow here is gone, as warm weather and rain have washed it away. If I could leave now, that would be ideal, but we’d have to pack up pretty quickly at this point, cancel a few appointments, and find another AirBnB someplace where we could hole up until we can check into our destination. Winter traveling is the worst, and it looks like the Loughlin vacation curse is hitting us once again.

Weather: Unbelievably cloudy and gray, 36°/WC36°. Went out to Point Gratiot Park a little later than usual, about 9AM. I thought it was going to rain or snow, and the pavement looked dicey, but I decided to take the risk and got in about 1.6 miles, a little shorter than the 2 miles I usually like to do. Yankee Bob was in the park, but he was just finishing up and was done by the time I got walking. The morning was truly gray and dreary, perhaps the apex of what days are like in the winter in WNY. However, the walking wasn’t too bad. There was, however, a strange absence of birds - not a single goose, seagull, hawk, turkey vulture, or eagle did I spy. Their absence made the trees feel even more barren. In fact, I didn’t even see a squirrel! Quite unusual.

I decided to take a number of pictures, which is also unusual, as I don’t like to break stride. Said good morning to a man walking a tiny dog. I can see the appeal of a tiny dog for older seniors, as they provide companionship without having the strength to pull you along. My daughter acquired another cat yesterday (her third), and it made me long for a pet of some kind. But I am not sure at this point that I want that responsibility. Pets can tie you down, and right now I prefer the freedom I have of being able to leave the house and not having to get a pet-sitter or travel with one. Looking forward to the Feast of the Seven Fishes tonight!

In the 1980s there were only two reasons to watch NYY baseball. One was Dave Winfield. The other was Ricky Henderson. Single-handedly, Rickey made every game he played in interesting and fun to watch. I don’t think the Yankees ever truly understood what they had on their hands other than a ballplayer they thought was a handful. You can be sure that if Rickey isn’t exactly destined for heaven, he will find a way to steal himself through the Pearly Gates with a headfirst slide. RIP.

The winter solstice occurred earlier this morning at 4:21 AM, and we have passed through the longest night of the year. The winter solstice is not only a natural turning point, but a psychological turning point as well, as we realize it can get no darker than today. I’ve come to see the cultural custom of decorating one’s house with lights beginning around the first of October as a response to the longer nights, an attempt to ward off the deepening darkness. Come the new year, the artificial lights will fade, as nature begins to provide us with more light. Today, there is a 2" coating of snow on the ground, which is the picture-perfect amount - just enough to blanket the landscape, while being just too little to bother with. A cup of coffee, a bran muffin, and a rugelach, with just a few bits of sun and blue sky, and the world seems just a little better.

Every year at the winter solstice I post this video. This Northern Exposure clip comes from episode 4.8 “Northern Lights,” which explores the theme of light during the winter solstice.

More Light

>Goethe’s final words: “More light.” Ever since we crawled out of that primordial slime, that’s been our unifying cry: “More light.”  Sunlight. Torchlight. Candelight. Neon. Incandescent. Lights that banish the darkness from our caves, to illuminate our roads, the insides of our refrigerators. Big floods for the night games at Soldier’s Field. Little tiny flashlights for those books we read under the covers when we’re supposed to be asleep. Light is more than watts and footcandles. Light is metaphor. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet.” “Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” “Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom; lead thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home- Lead Thou me on!” “Arise, shine, for thy light has come.” Light is knowledge. Light is life. Light is light.

-Chris in the Morning

Weather: Cloudy, Temp. 33°/WC 30° Winds NNW 6MPH. When I got to the park this morning around 8:15, no one had opened the gate, so initially I thought the park was closed. But being as how the snow was pretty much melted away, I parked on the side of the road and walked in. I hadn’t been to the park since the Nov. 30 snowstorm, so it was nice to get back. Only saw two people walking dogs. Did 30 minutes/1.8 miles. At first the wind from the north made me wish I had brought some sort of face covering, but I got used to it by the time I reached the lighthouse. The walk back was easier with the wind pretty much at my back.

I spotted an eagle perched in a tree, curled up against the wind. Eagles are relatively common along the Lake Erie shoreline these days, but spotting one is an exciting moment. I did not have my digital camera with me, so I had to take my pictures by phone. The zoom is not so hot, but I think you can see it’s an eagle. Spotting an eagle is considered a spiritual experience, especially if no one else is around, so I am taking it as a sign that life is OK and I am on the right path.

Cody Bellinger doesn’t do it for me. He came cheap enough, though, and actually fills three needs: a LH bat, 1B, and OF. But his track record over the past three years is inconsistent, and the Cubs seemed awful anxious to get rid of him. Can we sign Devin William after one year? How much regression will we see in Max Fried, who is already a soft tosser, over 8 years? I get it - something has to be done to paper over the loss of Juan Soto, but but honestly, there just isn’t much out there. Do we want Bregman from the cheating ASStros? We should have signed Arenado years ago. Christian Walker is 34, Carlos Santana 39. Slim pickings all around.