Today is a particularly gray day. Our weather has been cold this week and we’re getting some much-needed rain. Except for the rare ice/snow event, this is what we call An Austin Winter Day. Fortunately these days are followed by a few warm, sunny ones . . . until the next cold front sweeps through.

I’m sure that my northeastern family and friends will have no sympathy for this blog entry whatsoever.

Here is my downtown perspective about Austin Winter Days:

• Rowers are A Hardy Bunch. The kyaks and sculls have been out on the lake all week during this cold spell. I assume the rowers warm up quickly but the poor instructors on the motor boats must be freezing.

• Runners are also A Hardy Bunch. But I already knew this. As An Official Fair-Weather Runner, the treadmill suits me fine this week. 
• The Second Street shops are nearly empty. I hope they made enough money in the warmer weather to tide them over. The guy in the frozen yogurt shop looks even more bored than usual.  
• Now is a good time to sample soups in nearby restaurants. So far my favorite is the Tomato Basil (with a touch of balsamic vinegar) at Annie’s.
• You can’t see the top of The Austonian today. This building is 55 stories tall, with an exercise room on the top floor. So you could Exercise In A Fog if you lived there. (Hmmm…guess I’d better explain that most of The Austonian is missing in the center of the following photo)

• A Few Brave Souls have been using the hot tub on the seventh floor deck of our apartment building. No one has been in the pool though. 
• The dogs in the elevator are soaked when they come back from A Visit Outside. Their owners look miserable.
• Thank you, Paramount Theater, for showing movies to keep us downtowners entertained. Last night Bill and I watched a murder mystery called “Laura” which featured a young Vincent Price.  
• I did pay a visit to the Austin Farmers’ Market this morning. The booths were  huddled together and we all darted between tarps and raindrops.  

 Bill adds: “Winter weather? No problem when there are NFL play-off games on TV!”