Dec. 18, 2016 – It’s been cold the last few days. On Saturday, when it dropped to 13-below, I kept waiting to see someone in shorts. Usually, no matter how cold it gets, some idiot is running around with bare knees. But Missoula looked like a town full of bandits, everyone’s faces disguised by scarves and ski masks. It appeared that people finally had come to their senses. Too soon! For whatever reason, at about 5 p.m., I saw three different guys in shorts. Their knees looked very cold and red. My faith in Missoula was restored. Meanwhile, the cold didn’t deter Nell one bit. It was considerably warmer today (13 above) when she was romping in the Rattlesnake, and the scarves and facemasks were gone. People were bareheaded, had shed their parkas for fleeces, and sometimes even went gloveless. Oh, Missoula.