Meltdown

It was snow country in northwestern Pennsylvania and over its mountains this past weekend, as Kate and I traveled here and there to remind us what we're thankful for and give thanks. The snowbelt was carpeted with former Lake Erie water and some of the white stuff coated the ground at the tops of the Alleghenies. It was interesting watching the car's outside thermometer reading go down as we climbed up the mountains on Interstate 80, reaching 31 F at the summit and then slowly rising again on the downhill roll. The snow was gone, too, on the other side. Just steady light rain for the rest of the trip, first to drop Patrick off at his home and then on south to Washington. There, the weather was comparably balmy. No snow or even hint of it, except in the light icicles that drip from the rooftops as the newly placed Christmas decorations pop up here and there.

There aren't too many lights on houses yet. I'll be interested to see what downtown Alexandria looks like. The town's light-up night was last Friday and things should be festive and bright in an American Shopping District kind of way down along King Street - the major shopping street in Alexandria.

The cash registers of the businesses along King Street may not be very full though. It remains to be seen if there is a flurry of buying and spending this holiday season. It may be a cold, long, quiet few weeks in those stores heading into winter. The economic melt down may see to that.