Well, in case you were wondering, it is officially winter in Wisconsin. I arrived during the first considerable snowfall of the season.

I went for a walk in my brother's neighborhood and met Butch, a lifelong Madison resident. He has a huge expanse of sidewalk on his corner lot, so he likes to get out there to clean it up as soon as possible. He doesn't really mind firing up the snowblower, at least for the first few runs of the season. I was slightly jealous of his very warm-looking hunting suit.

Butch has worked for the USPS for thirty-five years, the last fifteen of which have been in the maintenance department. He said he likes that better than his previous position as a carrier, solely because it lets him escape the harsh climate—cold Wisconsin winters and humid summers.

I'm finding that the cold makes it a lot harder to have a relaxed, spontaneous conversation with my potential subjects. Butch had more snow to take care of, and I really need to find a pair of gloves for my next outing.