Escaped the Northeaster

Yesterday the sun broke out and the temperature rose to 44. I noticed at 5:30 in the afternoon that the day was indeed growing longer. The chickens agree with the lengthening of our day: first egg of 2015 laid on Sunday. In celebration, I filled the laying boxes with pine needles.
We are missing a major snow storm moving up the east coast, scheduled to drop 1 to 2 feet of snow, with winds up to 75 miles an hour. In spite of a cold in my throat, I am dancing happy to see colors outside and no flakes.  My chickens are delighted too - they don't tolerate snow.
Mojo has excavated a foreleg of deer which now moves from spot to spot in the front lawn. A smaller bone was claimed by Mr. Lee who came to the door begging to be allowed in with it. I explained that it was an outside toy and he dejectedly moved off. But they are frequently in and out checking on their stash.
In a fit of wishful thinking, I followed the counsel of the League of Conservation Voters of VA email and called my state senator, Ralph Smith. I asked the young aide to give the senator my  message that hoped he would support an inventory of toxic sites, increase the penalty for polluters (now $10K - certainly nothing to any business), and support timely reporting to DEQ of any hazardous spill into water ways. You would think that all of these points would be no brainers. Oh, I wish. But to the Republican dominated Senate and House in this state who want the EPA to shrivel and die, these items will probably be made into issues thwarting free enterprise.  Nevertheless, I make an effort to call my representatives. Makes me feel like I made an effort.