Sunrise came below a blue sky. This contrasted with the last few days, where a white gloaming had settled across n.w. illinois, visibility halted below half a mile. But this sun, and the sky, illuminated all that was ice covered. And this was everything outside my window.

There was no way, no reason, for me to leave the house today. I wrote from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a little break for a workout. Why, I asked myself, would I need to walk up the driveway? I have ice skates.