February 14

I just returned from a walk around the ‘hood. It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon. The air today is cold; it’s 28°F, and that is the high temperature for today. (Last night was 8°F.) The day is sunny, but it’s a weak sunlight that gives no heat. The smell of burning wood floats in the air. Only one car passed by me while I was out, and I saw no one else on foot. I had no company, except for the winter hawk. It glided quietly and quickly above the houses, circling for a while before disappearing beyond treetops to the south. I cut my walk short because the cold was uncomfortable.

We’re supposed to have snow tonight. In fact, according to the weather radar, it’s already snowing over my city. Peeking through the front window blinds, I see nothing falling yet, but I know it’s just a matter of time. Snow is on the way. Tomorrow we’re supposed to get ice pellets. The day after tomorrow we’ll get rain. For a couple of days and nights, the roads will be messy.

I didn’t watch the Republican debate last night, but I heard there was a lot of mud being thrown. That’s American politics: no thoughtful discussion of problems and how to solve them. No, just throw dirt at all your opponents and hope it sticks. It’s like watching a bunch of children squabbling. On the other hand, I’m sure the candidates know their audience. Most Americans would probably find a thoughtful discussion – devoted to problem solving – boring and simply tune out.

I watched Thursday’s LIGO announcement as it was streamed live. It’s an exciting time for cosmology. Scientists have proven that gravitational waves are real, just as Einstein predicted 100 years ago. They’ve proven that space-time is a real thing that can be stretched and compressed. They’ve proven that black holes exist; previously, we had only indirect evidence, as they are not visible.

Did I mention that today is Valentine’s Day? Well, it is – for somebody, somewhere. In my house, it’s just February 14. I’m okay with that.