Yes, those are icicles hanging off the bimini.

Well New Year's Day was nice and a bit cool. We had our traditional French onion soup (made with leftover flat champagne). On the 2nd a winter storm blew in, the temperatures dropping quickly. We had a hard freeze through the 5th, and freezing rain and sleet on the 3rd. On the 4th it began to clear, but was still very windy and ice kept falling off the rigging. We kept warm inside the boat but kept 2 heaters going all the time. We had a higher electric bill but it was worth it. Cold fronts blew in every week this month but none were as bad as the first one.

On the 27th Beverly went to Stewbilee with friends. Stewbilee is usually held in the fall but was postponed due to hurricanes. It's an event where many organizations and restaurants provide samples of their Brunswick stew and the public votes for their favorite version. You only get a little sample sized cup of each one, but if you try all of them (about 20)....you get really full. Especially since some of them also give you a little cornbread to go with the stew. Anyway, it's a fun and tasty way to spend an afternoon! (They also had booths selling drinks and desserts, along with games for the children.)

The library here participates in NEA's Big Read; this year's book is Station Eleven, written by Emily St. John Mandel. The library gives away paperback copies of the book so Beverly is reading it. Since the characters in this dystopian fiction novel are traveling actors and musicians performing Shakespeare's plays, the library is showing free films once a week in that theme. The first one was Kiss Me Kate, which is based on Taming of the Shrew. Beverly and a friend went to see it and said was fun to watch, although the movie was made in 1953 so kind of dated.

It's time to go enjoy the full blue moon tonight!