The temperature dropped. The snow dropped. The kids dropped down the hill at the outlook on all kinds of sleds on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday. Stellar sledder was Piper Murphy’s daughter, Mary Afton, on a new sled painted like a penguin. I have a new project for Mary Afton and all you pet lovers. Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at our Chicken Alley Thrift Shop a $4 entrance charge will provide us with materials while we are taught to sew blanket beds for dogs, kittens, gerbils, whatever. Sounds like a fun Sunday afternoon. Everyone is welcome.

Greetings. Was everything you wanted under your trees? If you feel you are missing anything here is a gift from me via one of my very favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut: ”Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard.

Well, I really stepped in it last week. Who else noticed my glaring omission? May I be condemned to be in a stalled car in the middle of Five Corners on next Labor Day weekend when I am rushing to the boat for neglecting to list the Mother of All Island Charities, The Red Stocking Fund, at the top of my holiday gift-giving list.

Call them what they are, jerks. Terrorist is a well-worn word that ascribes too much recognition, exactly what the bully on the playground wants. Don’t publish their names, no pictures. Just say this jerk did this, that jerk did that.