early...

So, around 3:45 this morning, I was awake and heard it again!  The popping.  It sounds like floorboards when you step on that squeaky spot, but in the ceiling.  I heard it the night before and convinced myself it was a ghost because what do I do all winter?  Read seed catalogs and ghost stories.  My imagination is inflamed.  Matt heard it today because I woke him up.  We stood around and poked the ceiling, wearing our undies and our glasses, blinking like moles and staring up, waiting for the sound to repeat.  Nothing happened.  Same as last time, 2 snap-pop sounds and then nothing.  Matt said it sounded electrical but I think one of the ceiling boards is going to fall out.  They are tongue and groove and it's not tight like the rest of the house.  I hope it's not over the bed.  Or the computers, but mainly...me.  And that we can just poke it back in place without lots of drama. 

I have been awake for hours, I am going to go back to bed so I can function later when we have to go to the orthodontist. 

But first, here is what I saw as the sky got brighter today:

 

All those clouds were prettier when there was barely light in the sky, now it's just a wall of grey and looks so bleak. I am looking forward to spring.

Speaking of spring, I went out yesterday to take pictures of the tiny blooming things in the yard:

It's not ALL bleak, even with the worst of winter ahead of us.