Volunteers

When Tom took off to plow and shovel snow at the little railroad this morning, it was -10 (-23.3 C) outside. And he's a volunteer. The little railroad is a volunteer-powered organization, and people give an amazing number of hours to keeping the little trains puffing along and delighting children.

At the library, volunteers provide the equivalent of a full-time staff member, saving the library (and the city and village taxpayers) between $35,000 and $40,000 annually.

Locally volunteers provide free tutoring for school kids as well as free language tutoring for adults who want to learn to speak and/or read English. They deliver meals to the elderly year-round and a special free lunch program for children in the summer. This year they will be adding art classes in the summer for the kids as well.

Volunteers go out into the community and read to daycare and HeadStart children. They visit people in hospice and in nursing homes. They rescue animals and help clean up the highways. Both Lake Delton Village and the City of Wisconsin Dells rely on volunteer fire departments.

So as I sit here snug and warm at home with the cats this morning, I think about those like Tom who go out there and just keep things going. Many of these folks get no recognition at all. In fact, I only know about some of the things they do because of the rounds I make in the bookmobile and what I see happening.

Thanks, folks! You done good!

Baby, it's cold outside!

Woke up to -4 (-20 C), looking forward (?) to a high of 4 (-15.6 C) and wind chills of maybe -27 (-32.8 C).

The good news? I will spend most of the day inside, because the Bookmobile goes to nursing homes and senior centers today. Bad news? We have to load and unload carts to take things in, and there is no shelter from the wind.

Because the sun is shining, the cats don't get why we won't let them outside in this. And tomorrow it will be a bit warmer but with snow much of the day. They are going to be cranky kitties by Saturday!

Time flies

Nine years, or 3287 days, one day at a time.

And so it begins ...

For New Year's Day, we had howling winds and snow showers. The snow showers didn't amount to much, no significant accumulation.

This morning (January 2), it is 18 degrees (-7.8 C) and we anticipate 4 degrees (- 15.6 C) tonight. Then it is supposed to climb back up safely above freezing by mid-week. Who knows from there?

Of course, many/most Wisconsin folks are interested in what the weather will be like in Pasadena today for the Rose Bowl, where the University of Wisconsin Badgers will be playing the Oregon Ducks this afternoon. I hear it will be close to 80 degrees (26.7 C), which seems absurd. One of my co-workers and her husband are visiting their son in Los Angeles this weekend, and she said her husband might try to go to the game. She plans to stay at home and play with her grandbabies.