104 Days to Opening Day 2008

Opening Day 2008 for the Timber Rattlers is April 3. That is 104 days from today. This off-season, the countdown will be based on books. Each day between now and Opening Day 2008, I will pick a random book out of my library and excerpt a passage off the page number corresponding with the number of days remaining to the first pitch of the new season. I will try not to repeat a book during the countdown.

Today's book is Frost at Christmas by R.D. Wingfield. William "Jack" Frost is a Detective Inspector in Denton, United Kingdom. The best way to describe him is as a British Columbo, but a little grumpier and with a bit less luck.

This passage has Frost and his partner searching for a missing girl in nasty weather.

Strong winds drove the snow almost horizontally, and when they left the car on the outskirts of the Old Wood it was teeth-gritting hard work to push themselves along the obscured path. By the time they reached the lake they were plastered thickly with snow from head to foot.

A small canvas marquee had been erected at lakeside for the dragging party and the wind was pounding its fists on the roof and trying to pluck out the tent-pegs. They plunged inside, thankful for its scant shelter, and sat on the small up-turned rowboat which someone must have manhandled through the woods in the dark. Outside, two uniformed snowmen stoically smashed the surface ice with long poles.

"Trust me to get weather like this, yelled Frost over the thunder of flapping canvas. "Inspector Allen would have had sunshine, bluebirds singing, and little deer chasing butterflies. Who the hell's this?"

Put today's excerpt in a baseball context.