Fate, TX (January 13, 2025) – The first snow event of 2025 has passed through North Texas. How did we survive an extra two days in the house? We opened and closed the back door four hundred sixty-two (or so) times for Bob Kilgore. Bob Kilgore is an inside kitty, with a strong desire for at least one stroll in the backyard each day. Most days he does not go without one of us to keep watch. There are coyotes and bobcats that easily leap the back wall of the garden here. Occasionally a big hawk will come soaring across, looking to scoop up a tasty morsel. Pretty sure Bob is too large a morsel for a hawk to lift, but we don’t take the chance. We know Bob after all these years, and our thinking was accurate. Open the door and wait a minute. He’d step out into the chill, look shocked, turn around and scurry back inside to the warm fireplace. A couple of times he crept further across the covered patio for extended durations of sixty to ninety seconds. Never touched a pitty paw down into the snow. Nor did I.
Other than door monitoring duties, we did a lot of chair warming. I enjoyed reading a good book. I completed the task taking down the Christmas trees and garlands of greenery, though I wasn’t in a particular hurry to do so. (I’ve left the winter wreath on the back door and the front door.) Most years the house emits an empty feeling after all the lights and trims are down. This year, while we are both sorely missing the trees with their glow, the house feels full and warm. Probably because it is full – I don’t think one more stick of furniture will fit in this house…except for that small area in the entry that currently holds a Kouboo basket, but could easily fit a small, antique chest of some kind. Insert wildly laughing emoji. We are filled up and I think I’ve reached the stage (at the young age of sixty-six) where I may love something but turn away. This applies to large furnishings only – plenty of room for more books, clocks, pitchers, stoneware, you know. A girl rarely has enough doodads, though I am becoming more mindful about bringing home even those. My friends are laughing, since I am always the one with more loot from the antique store or estate sale.
Never Mistaken for a Minimalist might be appropriate for my tombstone, if I were to be buried. In case you ever need to know, I’ve told my kids cremation for me and scatter me in Lake Superior or appropriately into the flower bed.
How else did we survive snow daze? That was over twenty-four hours ago but let me think hard. Bits of house puttering. Tweaking of the mantle decor. I did not use the time wisely by getting the laundry done, though I managed a couple of loads. The B.O.B. is not a card player, except for pinochle, which he tried to teach me years ago, but it is a hideous boring game. So, no hands of gin rummy for us. Nor will he touch a Scrabble board with me, which causes me dreadful despair. I clearly did not check all his credentials before we took our vows.
We did not sleep in. Bob Kilgore defines wake up time for us, and there are ramifications if brekkie is late. We did indulge in at least one long nap in our recliners. I had been reading and noticed the B.O.B. in a deep snooze across the room. Induced by the dark day and toasty fire burning, I gave in to it and the long doze was delicious. Oh wow – listen to this! I cooked dinner one night – no joke! Even more stupendous, the B.O.B. ate heartily and asked me to keep the leftovers. Indeed, a triumph, as he has developed an elderly lack of appetite (we’ll discuss his Chicken McNuggets addiction another day. I imagine he is in distress as now it’s been four days without. He seems to be holding up, but I will keep a close eye on him.)
We re-upped one of our streaming subscriptions and started a new (to us) series, which we are finding delightful. It’s not gritty or ugly or intense or hard to watch. It’s been good, quirky fun. Refreshing!
Another programming note: Saturday we ventured back out into the thawing real world and went to the movies to see “A Complete Unknown.” It was wonderful. The tale of the early years of Bob Dylan’s folk music career, filled with music from (way back in) our day, though surely, even younger folks will recognize the music. Surely.
After, we had an early dinner out (which was not that great) and scurried back home to our cozy nest, where I finished my book. I scrolled social media a bit, and came across photos of The Mildscape posted in the summer. My eyes registered “wow – pretty garden” then my brain kicked in and “oh my gosh – that is MY pretty garden!” When I work it and see it every day, my eyes take in something different than when looking from “afar.” It won’t be long before my spirit begins urging me back out to work in the dirt.
That’s the tale of our uneventful snow daze here at Mildred. I hope no one has suffered hardship from this blast of cold. Our hearts ache for those living through fires out west.
What’s your snow story? We had some spectacular snow people rolled out in our neighborhood. The Mildscape is still holding snow, the rest will no doubt melt off today. I’d best get the rest of my laundry done. Sigh. Bob Kilgore is still wearing his Christmas bow tie. Anyone want to place bets if I remember to change him back to regular programming this week?
Onward! And I hear there is yet another long, three-day weekend at the end of this week.

Sally Kilgore is a resident of Fate. She is married to her long-time flame, Judge Chris Kilgore.
Sally’s work has been published in The Dallas Morning News, Blue Ribbon News, Persimmon Tree, and Orchards Poetry. She maintains a weekly blog on her website, SallyAKilgore.com. You can contact by email via her website.