I took the day off today to attend the house while workmen from WindowPro featuring Renewal by Andersen repaired a patio door. A portion of the outdoor "skin" of the fixed (non-moving) portion had started peeling off! So, despite the cold temperatures (~28 F) the guys removed both portions of the door, replaced the deteriorating part with a brand-new door panel, and reassembled the thing. It only took about 30 minutes and the door is now –literally– good as new. With the entire patio door out for some time, it got really cold in the house (~ 54 F). I had the heating system shut off so as not to waste energy and it took a good long time to bring the place back up to comfortable levels once the install was done. Overall a good repair experience and I've got to hand it to Andersen for really standing behind their product. Thanks!
It's been cold here and, thanks to weather conditions peculiar to the region, we got not just arctic air but a nice snowfall as well. Between snow, ice, and clouds it looks and feels like mid-winter. Our beautiful late-season daffodils are covered with globs of flaky snow and are, no doubt, finished. I'll be hosting a Cub Scout troop at the Observatory tonight but all they'll see is the telescope — 100 percent overcast for days and more expected. {sigh}
With the snowfall I've started feeding the birds in earnest and they've responded in force. Cardinals, sparrows, woodpeckers, chickadees, goldfinches, and other varieties clamor around our feeders. One red-bellied woodpecker, in particular, repeatedly darted in, chased off smaller birds, picked out a peanut, and zoomed off to consume it. I topped off the big feeder this morning and it may be empty by nightfall! The thistle seed feeder is also getting heavy traffic but will "only" be down by half tonight.
Yep, it certainly feels like winter. Hang on, it could be rough!
PhotonStopper 
James, thanks for the positive feedback on Renewal by Andersen!