Brrrrrr.  It dropped down to 12.2 degrees under clear sky last night.  Had to get up early today for a doctor appointment.  Alfie did not have any desire to go his walk in temperature that cold.  So we just strolled around the yard and he got his "jobs" done near home. 

HOWEVER......I really should not gripe.  We lived in Central Iowa from 1966 to 1984.  It was a period of miserable winters.  This Kansas bred boy had never seen 25 degrees BELOW zero until then.  When it started snowing .....from the middle of November to the usual thaw in late January we folks in the residential areas would never see bare street pavement.....just packed snow cover.  At times the snow would get so deep that my snow blower could not heave it high enough to get it over the drifts and it would fall back onto the driveway or sidewalk.  I really cannot find adequate words to describe how I felt about having to go out at 6:30 AM and -20 to -25 degrees with 20 to 25 mph winds to remove snow from our driveway and sidewalks.  It gave new meaning to the word MISERABLE.  But here in the Kansas City area we are just far enough south that we have not experienced those kinds of winters.  I think the natural warming cycle that we're in right now has helped.  I'm sure things will swing back the other way in a few years.