Along with a dusting of snow this past weekend there was also sleet, freezing rain, and whatever the various mixes might be called as the temperature went from the upper twenties to the low forties. It's raining now, and the sky is gray. Once again, though, my Ohio relatives report another storm moving through in their 'winter that will not end'. It's 17 (plus a wind chill) degrees (Monday morning) with snow in the forecast for the coming week. (Seems even the reminder that March 'comes in like a lion ...' was a welcome reassurance).

A ziggy-zaggy sort of trail this time, starting actually, with a TV show. It's the "Trouble With Tribbles" episode from the original series of Star Trek. It was about cute, furry critters who breed in great numbers when removed from their natural habitat. Fast forward a few decades to when a co-worker told me it was from an old Disney short called "Pigs is Pigs". I found that on a Disney Classics dvd only to see in the credits that it was based on a short book with the same name. Published in 1905 by Ellis Parker Butler, it is a delightful children's story about guinea pigs left in a train station when there was some dispute over whether they were pets or farm animals. (Pets shipped for free, farm animals did not). I figured that was that until 2013 when I came learned of yet another version ... this time an early Robert Heinlein, and one that I missed 'way back then .... The Rolling Stones. The tie in with both Pigs and Tribbles is just one part of this family adventure in space. This time the furry critters are known as 'flat cats' who are happy, purring beasties who love to be petted ... and to eat. Naturally, they too reproduce at an alarming rate.

A cat (well, mostly) story seems to be in order this time. Someone I know used to live in a log cabin on the lake. Nighttime was reading time, on the sofa, with the cat. Behind the sofa was a window. All would be quiet, the reading would be going well when the cat would look up, out the window, and look .... startled. The question my friend would ponder .... turn and check what's out there or not?! I've had similar experiences with dogs, once there was even a low growl. I pondered that same question ... and usually went with 'ignorance is bliss' and returned to reading, hoping that if the situation was truly serious, my dog would react more strongly.

It's a subtle change at the moment, but the days are getting longer.

Reading Hermit With Dog