Today the mid-February thaw has set in, with a forecast of temperatures well above freezing even at night. That means rain and slop, and of course winter is not over. Next week, sidewalks and parking lots will be covered with lumps of frozen slush. What larks.

At last, I have reached the bottom of the chest freezer. It lives in the garage, so I have to wait for warm weather -- probably around Easter -- to defrost it and give it a good scrub.