Ah! Football! The last game of the regular season. She was sad about that. Now all she had to look forward to was the unbearably cold weather. Blustering winds, chilly rains, dark skies not to mention the threat of constant snow. Julianne punched a button on the remote turning off the television, leaving just the sound of a cackling fire in its wake.

She needed more wood, though the porch was already loaded down. It wouldn’t hurt to store water, as well. Fill the lanterns and the kerosene heater. It looked to be a brutal winter. Never had a year gone by without the loss of power for at least a week or two. Being unprepared would be dangerous. Batteries had been purchased, freezer filled to capacity, extra dog and cat food bought and stored.

Julianne hated the cold, yet for some reason she’d forgotten that. During the summer months things never seemed so bad until January was upon her.

Summer filled the air with the scent of fresh evergreen and wild honeysuckle. How was a person to remember when the sun beat down on hills laden with green grass and wildflowers? No, it was easy to pretend winter did not exist in the perfection of summer until of the harshness of January reared its ugly head.

She sighed. But, alas, it was not summer—and soon, opening the front door would be an exercise in futility. It was beyond critical to be prepared.

Suddenly, there was no room for thoughts of summer.

Julianne stood at tall windows trimmed in cherry wood, and took note of the hovering gray clouds where a definite blue-norther was sweeping in. Cold air seeped through the cracks sending chills over her skin. Shivering, she registered the need to seal the windows. Unnecessary heat escaping was just stupid. Heat was a precious commodity. She listened as the howling winds picked up in their intensity.

It nudged Julianne into action.

"Come on, you lazy mutt," she prodded a slumbering shepherd affectionately. He lay stretched out before the blazing fire. "You need to go out and take care of business."

He raised his head in protest.

"I know! You don’t have to stay long," she promised.

In assent, Bartholomew rose with the purpose of getting it over with quickly. He knew from past experience she would shove him out the door. Better to have it over and done with. He darted to the front door casting a disgusted glance towards the feline whose smug gaze from atop her comfortable perch on a ledge near a carpeted stairway. She calmly lifted and flexed her paw. He narrowed his eyes on her sardonic expression but she just handed him a blank look.

Sucking in a breath, he flew out the narrow opening of the door Julianne held for him.

Wilhemina grinned, thanking whatever stars, and Julianne, that she was not a dog. The big black/brown hound resented her immensely by the disparaging look he’d thrown her. He just happened to love Julianne more than he despised her!

Ha. What did she care? It suited Wilhemina fine. So long as she stayed dry and warm she was happy enough. Plus, aggravating him relieved the boredom.

"You shouldn’t act like that to him," Julianne told her.

Wilhemina stopped licking her paw and glanced up. Julianne stood before her, hands fisted at her hips, shaking her head.

Wilhemina felt a slight twinge of guilt, but she refused to lower her feline pride with any response. She switched to her other paw.

"It’s going to be really cold this winter, you know," Julianne continued. "He may put up a fuss when you try settle next to him for warmth later."

Oh. Wilhemina stopped. Julianne had a point. She cast a watchful glance as Julianne moved to the window to wait for the mongrel with some regret. Oh, how it irked when Julianne was right. With a silent sigh she leaped from her perch, landing with sure-feet, as Julianne let in a sharp breeze of cold air.

The black monstrosity of mutt raced for the warmth of the fire.

In her own magnanimous way Wilhemina decided to share her warmth with him realizing where her benefits lay in the coming months.

He accepted gracefully.