Not complaining...

As January comes to a close, here in Munich there has still been no arrival of serious winter weather. We have not had any serious snowfall and few nights with sub-zero temperatures. All of this is in a way heartening... it means, surely, that if there is really bad weather ahead for us in Bavaria, it will only be for a short time until spring arrives. Yes, I know that Easter falls this year in late April, and that snow at Easter is not unknown here. But even in that worst case it is better than the years in which we froze as of late October.

Our fate has been certainly better than in other places. 

In England they were visited by gales, flooding and torrential rains.

In America Jessi and her boyfriendhad first-hand experience of the 'polar vortex' and the big chill on the East Coast. 

In Russia even sweet Katya seemed daunted by  the obligation to take the tradition dip in a hole in the ice.

No, I am definitely not complaining!.