Usually by the end of February, winter is losing its grip in our quiet little village on the edge of the Smoky Mountains. But this year we’ve still got the twice-weekly snowstorms, still wearing the triple layers, still the hot chocolate and tea, the howling wind at night, the cats that refuse to venture outdoors … you get the picture. In fact, we seem to be stranded in the Olympic Alternate Universe, staying up till midnight watching triple toe loops, Salchows, axels, and Lutz’s.

As I write this post, I’ve escaped the cabin fever for the confines of my gallery for the day. The tourists are creeping back into the scene … many looking to escape the northern snows … ha!