Tonight will be as cold as last night, but this time I might try throwing something over the coiled hoses so they won't freeze so badly. I'll run them a couple of times during the night, too, if I'm awake, to let the warmer underground pipe water push out the colder water that's been sitting in the hoses. I don't want the cats to have to wait until afternoon for fresh water again. Sunday night will also be very cold, but the overnight freezes should end Monday night, and maybe next week my toes won't get numb every time I go outside.
For now, the clouds have returned and we no longer have the shadows of the bare trees etching the dull winter landscape. The ground is duller than the sky, and the woods have lost their depth. The chill again pervades everything. I'm enjoying the overcast while I can, though, because these are the last clouds expected here for at least a week. They are expected to vanish before midnight. There is a new moon tonight, too, so the next few nights will be good for watching the stars, at least for anyone who doesn't mind the cold. I'll probably stay in.