There are no leaves on the trees. The blackbirds are in flocks of thousands. The stock tank out front has a flotilla of ducks. Horses and cows are standing with backs to the wind, chewing. The sky is gray, and the wind whips around the corner of the house with hat snatching ferocity. The short days are filled with feeding animals, putting out hay, repairing broken water pipes, unstopping clogged drains, and putting on and taking off layers of winter clothing. So this is what we were praying for in September when it seemed that Summer would never end? Someone commented the other day that Texas weather is bipolar. We have gone from temperatures in the teens to well into the 80’s and back down to the teens again in less than a week. I wonder sometimes how nature deals with it? We have fireplaces, heaters, air-conditioners, walls and roofs. The trees, the birds, the critters, they only have bark, hair and feathers. But they seem to survive. This is a time for indoor activities, so my wife is re-organizing the house. I can’t find anything anymore. We read a lot, and take naps. Then when the sun comes out, and the wind dies down, we saddle a couple of horses and go check the cows. All in all, it’s a good life, even in the winter.