WARM AND WELL FED

Wednesday, 9:30 AM.  1 degree F, up from below zero earlier.  The wind is WSW, calm to very light.  The barometer stands almost unchanged at 30.17 in., the humidity is 85%, and the sun is still but a ghostly presence in the morning fog and haze. The trees stand unmoving,  rigidly cast in ice and snow. 
    Yesterday, the coldest day in six years, was spent traveling the frozen tundra to Duluth and back.  The roads were O.K., Hwy 13 somewhat slippery down to Hwy. 2,  which was in pretty good shape both directions.  It never got above –10 degrees F the entire 90 miles, the winter scene frigid and brutal.  Duluth had –20 F yesterday morning and schools were closed.  We got our business done O.K. but it was bitterly cold going to and from the truck.  The scenery on the roads was starkly, frigidly beautiful and we warmed up with a great lunch at the Pickwick in downtown Duluth, a fine old dark, wood paneled pub and restaurant with elk and moose antlers on the walls.  Not wanting to cook dinner when we got back home, we had real wood-fired pizza at Da Lous’ in Washburn, the best pizza north of Chicago and east of New York in my somewhat expert opinion.  Buddy scored a MacDonalds cheddar melt burger, which he evidently thought well of. We all went to bed road weary, but warm and well fed.