Cold

Cold.

Not cold for Green Bay, maybe, but frigid for a place where folks talk with So'thrn accents.

I get up every morning in the winter and make sure there's liquid water in the dog's dish outside. I keep water out there for the generality of animals, wild and tame. It's not so much for the dog; she doesn't sit outside on the porch because that would interfere with her canine goal of keeping within paws' reach of me all day long and tripping me every time I get up.

Anyhow, when it's freezing, my first act of the day is to beat the solid ice out of the dish ... whomp ... and pour in hot water from an IKEA plastic pitcher.

Did it this morning.
Steamy water.
Good

Looked out at 9 o'clock and the dish had frozen over solid. Bunch of disconsolate chickadees peering down at it.