Madison, WI

Started walk at 6:30 a.m.

It was dark and overcast with light flurries. But, my headache was gone and the morning looked great to me. The temperature was mild and gloves were not always needed. More snow fell during the night so the sidewalks and roads had a new covering.

There were a lot of cars on the road and I had a difficult time crossing. This is rather unusual for so early in the morning. The "clumping" effect was probably cause by the snow. In bad road conditions, cars tend to clump together like they're trying to get warmth in numbers.

The walk was basically quiet and calming. Among the ducks near the island (not the pond) I could hear a shrill chirp that I could not identify. A closer inspection of the flock didn't reveal any obvious suspects.

Chance was in a playful mood and ran out onto the ice. I called him back because I didn't think the ice was safe. My requests only enhanced his antics that included a sort of half, horse shoe twist in mid air. Na, Nana, Na Na! Dog Ice Capades. For his finale, he attempted to prove his doghood by extracting a log from the ice near shore. The ice won and he eventually rejoined me in the walk.

Coffee -- Costa Rican -- Excellent. Muffin -- cranberries -- Good.