Winter's first glance

The strong northwest winds are shaking some flurries out of the sky. Other parts of the Northeast picked up measurable snow, including the first lake-effect snow in upstate New York. The chilly wind is also sneaking through gaps around the back door, a reminder that I need to stop at the hardware store to pick up a weatherstripping kit.
On mornings such as this, it's important to build a small, hot fire in the stove. The two parts of the house create a canyon effect that pushes air down the cold stove pipe; unless there's enough heat in the stove to push the exhaust up and out, we'll get a houseful of smoke. Once the stove pipe is warmed, the natural flow takes over.
 It seems a shame to leave a house that's so nice and warm so that I can rejoin the madness that is the eastward commute. It's part of the adventure. Today is the first day of a four-day technical documentation conference in Burlington MA. I'll take the familiar route - the Pike to 128 - today. I have my insulated coffee mug and I'm ready to go. Well, almost ready, but I'll go anyway.