May the road before you be filled with light and love from heaven above.

The snow was beginning to catch up with us last Sunday morning as I took this photo. It could have been a lot better, but I was cold—shaking. The wind was blowing and sleet was falling. We woke to find at least a couple of inches of freshly fallen snow on the ground. The Lorain lighthouse sits out in Lake Erie across from docks and tightly sealed ships. We drove behind fences and out across frozen ground to a point where we saw not only the lighthouse but an endless number of seagulls circling the water in front of us. We had traveled a long way, and we still had a long way to go to get to the city of Erie before night.

While we were in the quaint lakeside city of Vermilion, we stop at Main Street Soda to grab something to eat. The moment we walked through the doorway, we were sure we had stepped back in time at least fifty years! The hamburgers were great and the prices were right!

I had a vanilla coke from the soda fountain! Others had cherry coke—just as good. I also learned to like Vernon’s ginger ale on this trip

I actually have a plate like the one in this photo but I bought it at the old Lakewood antique show.

Almost everywhere I turned in this little town, Christmas was still in full swing even a week after we had opened the last gift.

All day long, we had been singing “Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go.” Then we turned a corner and saw this scene and suddenly we felt as though we had reached a very warm destination—a destination as warm and welcoming as any grandma’s house.

A late afternoon drive beside the Allegheny River led to this photo. The snow had stopped, but there is more on the way. I’m almost ready to return to Cocoa Joy and warmer weather. I talked with her trainer at Dog School 101 today and learned that she is being quite the big sister to Chip—protecting him and not allowing a pushing Yorkie to control his every step! Precious. Oh, I need a dog hug!!