There is frost on the truck windows this morning, and a light skim of ice on the water from our dock out towards the river.  From the backside of the dock to the end of the gut, it is mostly clear because of the warm spring waters.

I got a note from a friend last night.  He lives in Blacksburg, Va. and was saying how tired he is of all the snow.  He closed his note with a question asking how much snow we have?

That was an easy question to answer since we have none.  I did tell him that we should be due another "coastal snow storm" sometime in the next five years based on the last two being six years apart and our last one being January of 2009.

Those answers are probably not what he wanted to hear as he walked his dog this morning on a windy Blacksburg morning.

Here on the coast are seeing colder than normal weather, but at least we get up into the forties or fifties each day. When you wear sneakers without socks and the lightest fleece that Lands End makes, you cannot complain very much about winter.

We can already tell a big difference in heating from the sun.  The south side of our house has lots of windows so once the sun gets around in the afternoon, we are on solar heating and not heat pumps.  We usually start the day with some gas heat from our fireplace logs.

Along with the sun, I have used some of my summer pictures to keep me warm.  I just reworked a post from the summer on another of my sites.  It is about my daughter falling in love with the Crystal Coast.  We had a great time playing and fishing in the shallow waters of Bogue Inlet.  I can still remember the heat and warm waters.

As the sun starts to get stronger in 2010, things will start to warm down up quickly here along the coast.  All the snow will likely slow things somewhat this spring, but once March gets here I predict we will see some better weather.  We have friends from Boston already planning an April or May visit.  The last time they came in April and waded in the ocean.

I know the water birds will also be glad to have some more space and warmth.  I am particularly looking forward to the time when the gut behind the house becomes an aquatic nursery like it does every spring.

Then there is always the possibility of some early fishing to get the blood moving.