The Minstrel was infirm and old….

This is an illustration from The Poetical Works of Sir Walter Scott (published by Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, NY, 1888). Quotation is from the first stanza of Scott’s epic poem “The Lay of the Last Minstrel.”

The Lay of the Last Minstrel

The way was long, the wind was cold,
The Minstrel was infirm and old;
His withered cheeks and tresses gray
Seem’d to have known a better day;
The harp, his sole remaining joy,
Was carried by an orphan boy.
The last of all the Bards was he,
who sung of Border chivalry;
For welladay! their date was fled,
His tuneful brethren all were dead;
And he, neglected and opress’d,
Wish’d to be with them, and at rest.
(……)

This image pairs well with our current weather advisory:

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARQUETTE MI
435 PM EST THU DEC 10 2009

…LAKE EFFECT SNOW CONTINUES FOR WESTERLY WIND SNOWBELTS…

.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVING INTO QUEBEC WILL PRODUCE HEAVY LAKE
EFFECT SNOWS THROUGH FRIDAY NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR IN WESTERLY FAVORED
LAKE EFFECT SNOW BELTS. AWAY FROM THE LAKE EFFECT SNOWS…WIND CHILL
VALUES ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF UPPER MICHIGAN WILL FALL TO 15
TO 30 BELOW ZERO TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.
MIZ004-005-009>013-110545-
/O.CON.KMQT.WC.Y.0005.091211T0300Z-091211T1600Z/
BARAGA-MARQUETTE-GOGEBIC-IRON-DICKINSON-MENOMINEE-DELTA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…L’ANSE…GWINN…MARQUETTE…IRONWOOD…
IRON RIVER…IRON MOUNTAIN…MENOMINEE…ESCANABA…GLADSTONE
435 PM EST THU DEC 10 2009 /335 PM CST THU DEC 10 2009/
…WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM EST /9 PM
CST/ THIS EVENING TO 11 AM EST /10 AM CST/ FRIDAY…

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM EST /9 PM CST/
THIS EVENING TO 11 AM EST /10 AM CST/ FRIDAY.

* VERY LOW WIND CHILLS LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES FALLING TO 5 BELOW TO 10 BELOW ZERO TONIGHT INTO
EARLY FRIDAY IN COMBINATION WITH A WEST WIND AROUND 10 MPH WILL
PRODUCE WIND CHILL VALUES OF 15 BELOW ZERO TO 30 BELOW ZERO.

* THE VERY LOW WIND CHILLS COULD LEAD TO FROST BITE OR HYPOTHERMIA
IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.