Obama used to party here

Barack in Madison, Wisconsin
Originally uploaded by Barack Obama

I was not part of this 20,000. No, I was part of the overflow crowd stuck in the adjacent practice facility.

We stood in line for an hour and a half -- it was in the single digits, with the wind whipping snow into our faces, before being told that homeland security wouldn't be letting us in to the main arena. Alas.

On the plus side, Obama poked his head into the overflow room before his speech, and was a little more personal:

"I love Madison. Back when I was a community organizer in Chicago, before I went to law school, I used to come up here for some R & R. I can't tell you what we did, but I love Madison."

Coming to Madison

College Park Rally
Originally uploaded by Barack Obama

The fever is certainly catching in Madison, with a rally for tonight at the Kohl Center. I am planning on going, although I've heard people are standing in line all day to get in. Not today, for me, at least.

This guy is the real deal, though. I've followed his work on the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee.

Still, I'm a little unhappy at how little the environment features in this campaign so far. And nobody seems to be talking about the dollar policy.

Nine Springs Creek after a big storm

We got more than a foot of snow yesterday. I went snowshoeing this morning.

A great winter so far

A Great Day for Snowshoeing
Originally uploaded by Paul Grant

This is the first solid winter we've had in several years. So on a beautiful January day, we went snowshoeing in Governor Dodge State Park.

Felt a little wierd about driving 40 miles to enjoy nature. That's a new sensation, but we've really cut back, what with $3 a gallon.

I guess we're getting 8 inches tonight, so I might be able to do this in the UW Arboretum, which is about 400 yards from our house.