The Streets Are Caked With Ice

It is still winter here, so there aren't many pretty pictures for the blog. I do have this representation of late December in St Paul after a big snow followed by ice. The roads are still covered with chunks of hardened slush and will be until it warms up here - sometime in January presumably. The photo was taken on my trek to the grocery store to pick up a few items and to get some exercise. At Fairmount and Oxford. Grand Avenue traffic was backed up and moving slowly, but I was on the sidewalk, so mostly wasn't bothered by the delays - except when I tried to cross the street. The sidewalks were caked and also slippery in spots. I can see why older people move to warmer climes when they retire. It's a bit treacherous under foot.



I played tennis yesterday at Fort Snelling, but am now off until Saturday which is in the new year - twenty-ten. I played well enough and managed to feel like I'd had a good workout. Fort Snelling is a bubble structure over the courts and the heating system is not completely effective when the temperature goes close to and below zero. I kept my sweat top on for most of the action so that I could retain some heat and get as limber as I could. Next week we are expecting a cool down, so I expect more warming strategies will have to be employed.

It's 18 degrees at the moment. But the days are getting longer and eventually spring will return.