This was the morning of January 20th, the Inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th President. As I sat with a hot cup of tea watching the crowds that gathered in Washington on TV, I could not help but wonder what really lies ahead for us as a Nation. I want to remain hopeful.

January has had us in a “deep Freeze”, but today (23rd) it will get into the 30’s. I thought I would add a few pictures of how well the animals deal with winter indoors and out.

The outdoor cats do go out, but only for a very short time. Once inside they get bored just like people, so the younger ones get playful chasing each other all around the house or they sleep. Our dog Sidney loves the snow, he would stay outside until he turned to ice if we let him. But, he and Miss B (our beagel) do get frost bite on their paws and are forced to come inside. Lucy and Cosmo are indoor cats. Lucy is old so she sleeps most of the day but Cosmo is the youngest, so he prowles around the house bothering the bird and chasing the other cats. The picture of him below shows that he does get tired enough to find a good spot to sleep.

While I was trying to figure out my new sewing machine, I decied to knit a hat from a bulky type yarn. The hat turned out cute, but I think I would use a smaller needle next time since it feels like it will stretch out once worn.