A reader named Matt emailed with a tech question this morning, and the back-and-forth ended this way:

> btw - lovely day in S Florida - 75ish, soft breeze

It's bright white and quiet here in Providence, around 30. The roads are clear and the snow from last weekend's storm is still high, clean and beautiful in many places. Our yards are floating inhabited islets. Knee-deep shovelsful edge the paths. The light is bright and white, bouncing. It's lovely to just watch it from the cave on a lazy Saturday.

The sun is getting stronger and higher now, setting later. In the Western windowsill, little shoots are poking up in pots that I thought were dead.

Today I found myself thinking about starting seeds on the shelves of our cheapo portable greenhouse. A flying cat fell through the top of its plastic garment-bag cover last summer, but we'll tape it.

Today I want to grow African violet seeds, each a different flat simple variety, in clear saturated colors -- no ruffled flowers, no polka dots, no mutant Space Violets.

Maybe the snow makes veggies seem remote. African violets can hold their own against snow.

Thanks for writing.

Later: After Matt came by the blog this morning and saw the riff he started, he emailed, "LOL and big grin. Not technically a snowbird. Sold out to the sun and beeze four years ago. "

Sounds like he's gone for good...