Let it snow?

I was shocked to discover that Thursday's weather forecast calls for a chance of SNOW SHOWERS in the morning hours. What?! Yeah, I know, I know. I was complaining about the heat we had last week, so I should be turning cartwheels over the prospect of snow, right? Wrong. Snow is for Christmas time, Thanksgiving maybe, but not before Halloween! Yikes! As much as I'm relieved to have the hot weather of summer behind us, I'm realizing more and more that after 4 years in FL, this winter is really going to be hard for me. I'm not used to bitter cold. I guess I will be come March. In the meantime, I hope that fall sticks around as long as it can. The leaves are getting really beautiful, and the crisp air is so welcome. Does it have to turn really cold so soon? Hey Winter...not so fast, buddy. You'll have your time yet, but October ain't it! Don't take away my favorite season so soon! And Fall, honey, give it all ya got! It's still your time. Don't let that overeager Winter push you around!

Anyhow, amidst this weather drama, two important birthdays slipped by over the weekend, and I want to acknowledge them. Coincidentally, two very important men in my life have the same birthday, October 7. Happy Belated birthday, Dad N and SF! I love you both! :-)

LOTR Update
I am about to take "A Shortcut to Mushrooms." I just finished reading about Frodo, Sam, and Pippin's flight from Hobbiton, which becomes progressively more ominious as it proceeds since that damneable black rider keeps showing up and sniffing. What a pest! But unfortunately, such a dangerous, even deadly pest. Tolkien does a wonderful job of letting you feel Frodo's fear with him as it grows...Frodo begins to understand that this rider is not just some dude dressed up in a black cloak but something altogether evil. When the rider dismounts and begins to crawl towards Frodo, my skin crawled right along with him. Yikes. Scary stuff.

Thank goodness that that's when the Elves show up. No nasty black rider could ever stand a cheerful band of Elves singing. In contrast to the black rider, the time that the hobbits spend with Gildor and his band of Elves is altogether delightful. The light that emanates from the Elves banishes the black rider to the shadows (where he belongs anyway, the freaky thing). Gildor was a favorite character of mine from my first read of the Trilogy, and he remains so. He may only be around for a few pages, but he stays with you throughout the story somehow. He is so wise, and yet not above playful banter. The Elves in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of the Trilogy have forgotten the merry-making of the books' Elves, even in dangerous times. The Elves in the books laugh easily and often, and this makes them even more lovely. It made me so happy to see Frodo declared an Elf Friend by Gildor. I like to see Frodo appreciated for the amazing hobbit that he is. It is also wonderful that he speaks Elvish to the Elves in greeting. He does Bilbo proud. The Frodo in the films, much as I love him, is a bit dumbed-down. It's nice to be spending time with the "real" Frodo again.

There's a little gem of a passage in this section that takes place before the hobbits encounter the snuffling black rider or Gildor and his Elves. I'm thinking of the fox who encounters the hobbits as they sleep in the forest their first night out of Hobbiton:

"A fox passing through the wood on business of his own stopped several minutes and sniffed.
'Hobbits!' he thought. 'Well, what next? I have heard of strange doings in this land, but I have seldom heard of a hobbit sleeping out of doors under a tree. Three of them! There's something mighty queer behind this.' He was quite right, but he never found out any more about it."

Perceptive fox. But probably better for him that he didn't know any more. I just love that passage. I'm not even exactly sure why. Somehow, it is just magical, like the world of hobbits and Elves and dwarves and men and foxes (and orcs! ugh!) that Professor Tolkien created. It is such a pleasure to be transported to that world. Thanks, Professor, for providing us with the means to get there.

Is anyone else reading? Or maybe you've read them many times or recently? Please share your thoughts. I never intended for this to be my thoughts only...I'd love to dialogue. LOTR ROCKS!!!