My glance out the window at 4am turned into a 10 minute gaze.  The sky was cloudless and filled with millions of twinkling stars.  It was amazing.  

The temperature was supposed to dip to -23C overnight but it's 10 degrees warmer.  I had noticed how much the snow went down in my yard during the big melt last week but it was more noticeable in an open farm field that I pass on the way to work.  The horses that foraged there had a difficult time in the deep snow.  They would sink past their knee joints as they made their way across the field.  When I drove by yesterday, I could see bare patches of ground.

The ski trails have become as icy as a bobsled run making it a challenge to remain upright and even more challenging to make it around curves on a downhill glide.  The skiers that I saw yesterday were taking it pretty slow.  I think I'll stick to skating for the next while.

I've been waiting patiently for the grosbeaks to show up this winter but there has been no sign of them.  I checked the date on the first photos that I took of them in 2013 and it happened to be January 29.  Maybe there is still hope.  I miss seeing their bright colors at the tray feeder.

From the look of that clear sky, the day should shape up to be a nice one.  Hopefully I'll be able to get out for some fresh air after work.