Cold Front Contemplation

The wind is whipping and howling outside the window, and flurries of snow have come and gone. It is warm and comfortable inside my library, and I think about the cattle drives of the 1880s. I think about cowboys moving the herds across the open range through rain and sleet and snow with no cover in sight. Yes, the nineteenth century cowboy is an iconic figure, a romanticized figure, and he probably would not have traded his freedom for anything, but on days like today, I imagine even the wildest of drovers would have contemplated the merits of a warm fireplace and a roof over his head. Yes sir, I imagine he would have entertained the notion of homesteading, at least for a spell, and then promptly decided to dismiss it.

Here's a little cold weather music from the Sir Douglas Quintet.