And they're off.

We're in Manhattan, and the most amazing thing I've found yet is that no matter where we are walking, we're going against the tide, against the flow of the crowd. I've also noticed that there are an abundance of sirens in this town. I've also noticed that after you've been in zero temperatures, 21 seems balmy. Finally, I've seen that a block is really a long way in Manhattan.

We're here for the week, the soon-to-be annual February trip to New York. Constantly we're trying to find our way, but we're about to head to the subway to journey to the Museum of Natural History.

We're seriously not in Kansas, or Coushatta, La., any longer.
Should be survive our trip, I will add to this later. The journal has begun.

This afternoon was among the greatest I've ever had. Our nephew, Brian, showed us around in the afternoon after we had spent a couple hours being lost as we can be on the subways. There was something about the holidays causing the subways to not stop at all stops, including the place where we were to stop (of course). We went to the Museum of Natural History, but the lines were incredible so we walked away after buying gifts for the grandkids.

Then about 2 p.m. the snow began and it is still going strong as we begin to rest. We ate a wonderful meal at an Italian restaurant that had huge windows. The snow grew large, it began to pile up, and as the snow drifted down, the lights outside came on and it was in a word, beautiful.