The sun came through the south window and it's positioned odd, but it burned my eyes like the summer one. I was eager. It enticed me to imagine that it might be a warming one. So, I walked out of the door into it's light and the wind from the west swiftly stepped in front of it, briskly reminding me of it's turn at the seasonal wheel, chilling me to the bone.

Alright, alright, a girl can hope, can't she....

I was glad I put on the gray and red flannel, the one with the quilted lining, and that I'd found some heavy boy socks to slip into. Tip-toeing across the stones to get to the truck, a couple of pulls of the frozen door and it reluctantly creaked open to let me in. It knows what's coming and I wasn't expecting full cooperation, not in these temperatures. So, I didn't sit in it, I just leaned over the seat and turned the key. And even though I only half expected it, the dependable Red Rover as always growled it's yawn. I should know better. Good girl. I flipped, flipped, flipped each dial to call open the fan to offer me some full-on warmth. It blew, "All I got is cold right now." I was fine with that. "Shiver here a minute," I said, "and find your bearings. You'll warm up in no time." It just hummed and blew.

D had followed me out. She ran back and forth in the front yard, excited and full of energy. A new day for her, her new life and she has a 10 or more year lease on it. I thought, "Her confidence soars when she's out of the house." I tip-toed back to the front and stood on the step for a minute, whistled for her and she ran sideways to me. She runs sideways. She came right to me, her savior, assured that her reward would be in heaven, or in a shiny stainless steel bowl in the laundry room; it's all the same to her.