A winter ice storm with the possibility of snow accumulations is predicted for the Charleston area today so today I am grateful for that very rare Charleston winter storm. Although not quite as rare as hurricanes are (contrary to popular belief about Charleston) winter storms hardly ever break up the monotony of our string of clear 55 to 65 degree days that we usually experience in January and February. So when one does come, it is a spectacle worth appreciating. It is probably the fact that it is so rare here that makes something that could be dangerous to drive in and potentially could cause a power outage so special. Storms like this are taken for granted in the North and are just considered part of winter. In the South, these storms are all out media events providing great entertainment value, especially the local news with their field reporters all bundled up "on the scene" and their urgent advice to the huddled masses : "Stay indoors .... Cover your plants ... Drip your faucets... Don't shave your pets ...." The supermarkets were packed this morning with people buying milk, eggs, bottled water, etc. All schools and government offices closed early today and have already decided to close tomorrow. All flights in and out of Charleston have been canceled for the rest of today. All of this and as of 3PM, barely a drop of precipitation has fallen. So now we wait. It could be just a cold rain and a few flurries or it could be, as one local newscaster already declared: "A storm we will surely be talking about for years to come". So, I am grateful for this cold wintry day, the entertainment it has provided me and for the fact that I don't have to leave my cozy home until it all blows over. The fireplace is lit and we have plenty of eggs, milk and bottled water to get us through until the end of the week. By the way, forecast for Saturday is 66 and partly cloudy ... How boring.