Woke before four-thirty this morning, and checked outside.

More than a skiff of snow on vehicles and grass, but sidewalks were clear, and the roads looked to be just wet. Probably a doable day for checking leks.

But I went back to bed, anyway.

Got up again at 05:30, which is just about too late to even bother for strutting ground surveys, and saw the same thing, only the treetops were waving in the predicted winds.

Back to bed, for almost two more hours. Turns out it was a wise decision. A couple federal biologists headed out about that time for plover surveys, and ended up spinning a 360 on the interstate because of the wind and ice. And they wisely came hobbling back to town for the day.

So. Slept in some. Office work in the morning, and then a half-hour meeting on a construction project after noon that turned into a two-and-a-half hour meeting (the last half-hour being spent catching those folks up on the lichen/elk story).

Before I could get my late lunch heated up in the microwave, the phone rings.

Youngest son. Car just quit on him. Needs help.

Now, the Dodge hasn't started for three weeks, since it died on the wife in the driveway, and we had to push it back in off the sidewalk. And still won't start. At least, not in PARK, or NEUTRAL. But I play around with it, and eventually figure out that whatever the wife did to the gear shift on the column, Reverse is now half-way between Park and Reverse. And Neutral is actually at Reverse.

And the truck starts, there.

So, in to the school to rescue son and his friend, and get the tow truck, and make arrangements with the mechanic.

Net result?

Lunch was reheated, and finally eaten after five o'clock. And interrupted by a call from a consultant wanting data on two leks that I hadn't bothered to check this year, because I thought they were far enough out of the gas fields to be safe from disturbance.

I was wrong.

Yes, staying home for a day is always so restful.

A grouse pic from a month ago.