Today it was in the low 80s. A week ago, this was the view outside my study window. It was our one and only snow storm of the season. I know that you who suffer through days and weeks and months of this wouldn't miss it, but I wish it hadn't gone away quite so fast.



( quince blossoms in the snow )

From the NY Times weatherization article:

Government aid for weatherization has been modest....

But utilities that furnish electricity, natural gas and home heating oil have lobbied strongly for programs that provide money to help pay bills.

Although Congress added $250 million to the original $227 million budget for weatherization in the current fiscal year, the number of people receiving weatherization aid is dwarfed by those receiving assistance in paying their energy bills.

That just kind of ticks me off. Because the people getting assistance are still going to be cold if their houses are drafty. In VA, that is a reality: old houses are made for summer, not winter. I used to live in a place with slight gaps in the floorboards, so that the air could flow in the summer.

And just yesterday I discovered that I can see through the edge around my kitchen door, through the storm door into my yard. And I've been wondering where the draft down there is from. To do today: google weatherization strips, go to hardware store, install. We also have problems under the sink and counters. Living in a place with relatively short winters it's easier to let this kind of stuff slide, but this article got me thinking it's past time to take care of it.

Edit: Quick fix: just had to pull the metal strippy thing out so it would catch the air. Still need to fix the storm door which is swollen at the bottom and doesn't close all the way without a fight.