Yes, you read that correctly.  The dog days of winter, instead of the dog days of summer.  The dog days of summer refer to the hottest days of the season as in July and August.  In the winter months, it is January and February in my neck of the woods.  On the gulf coast, it is usually January and February as the coldest months.  The first two weeks in March are cold here.  But, nothing like it is up north in Michigan, New York etc.  I don't envy you nice folks up there.  I don't know how you can endure months of cold weather and snow.  I suppose it all depends on what you are accustomed to in your life.  In my area, on the gulf coast, we usually have about six to eight weeks of what one could say is cold weather.  Right now, we are enduring cold weather during the day (which is not normal for us) and at night.  It is also raining quite a bit this time of year.  Once the rain stops, that means more cold weather.  The wind has been blowing more than usual this year as well.  I'm sure there is an explanation for that somewhere.  That just compounds the discomfort of cold weather.  Wind chill factors have been lower than expected this year as well.

So, as I sit at my desk typing away on a Thursday night, I look at the rain pouring down on the squirrel feeder.  My little friend, Bobby the Squirrel, must be all snug in his nest tonight or, at least, I hope he is.  It's too cold for him to even come out and get a peanut or kernel of corn I have in the feeder.  I don't blame him.  It's nights like this that make me glad I don't have to work any longer.  I have worked in nights like this before.  It is not any fun.  With that thought in mind, I'll just throw another long onto the fire so my beagle, Ralph, doesn't get cold tonight.