"At night, the ice weasels come."

You know … it’s cold.


I realize this statement doesn’t come as a surprise to most, at least in the northern hemisphere, being winter and all, but still … it’s uncomfortably cold, and has been for a surprisingly long time. And they say it’s going to continue.


Now, I hear around these parts this cold is a bit unusual, given the timing on it, and the length of stay. Frankly, I’m to the point where I couldn’t care less so long as it goes, and leaves me in peace.


Honestly folks – when you have weeks upon weeks of temperatures in the mid teens or lower Fahrenheit, and the wind chills take it down to as low as -26 or so at its worst, it’s too stinking cold.


Don’t get me wrong – I’ve traditionally enjoyed winter. Traditionally. Until we moved out here where apparently the idea of usable snow, ie for entertainment purposes like skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, and snowman-building, are limited by both geographical and meteorological factors. Those being a decided lack of elevation of any appreciable sort, and the stubborn weather that seems to work hard at denying us snow that is packable, doesn’t immediately freeze, or blow away in those lovely bitter gusts, or come down as more a fine floating frost due to a high humidity, but extremely low temperature, or the fun stuff – moisture coming down as freezing rain or slush. In all our time out here, I think we’ve had one usable snowfall, and it was so cold we couldn’t stay outside long enough to truly enjoy it, and it soon froze into the lovely sheet of packed iciness the yard is currently.


Which is, so the weatherman says, to expect an additional 3-8 inches of gracious knows what over the next few days. Given our track record, in spite of the temperature sneaking above freezing for the second time since before Christmas yesterday, I do not have high hopes for this next snowfall.


Meanwhile in the stores I’m seeing the daffodils and tulips and hyacinths in cute little pots and cut arrangements, and I’m wishing I’d had the wherewithal to plant some of my own last fall, while at the same time being grateful I didn’t waste the money for fear the little bounders would never make it in the freezing cold. At this rate, I’m going to end up buying some for the tables in here, just to brighten up things a bit, and pretend that perhaps it really isn’t as dreary outside as I thought when last I looked.


I’m seriously ready for Spring, even if it means being faced with the monumental task of cleaning up the back yard from a winter of broken tree branches from neighbors, mess from the dogs – who thanks to the cold have been going stir-crazy indoors, and hate (and I do mean absolutely hate) going outside most of the time. I can’t say as I blame them. It’s miserable out there, and things froze so fast, our deck is an inch plus sheet of packed ice.


Meanwhile back home, they’re enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures, have had nicer snow, and not too out of the ordinary dosings of the nasty cold. Not that I miss everyone and many of the things back there or anything, mind. Oh gracious no.


Leaving more serious rants of more personal nature aside, I’m leaving it at that for now. I’m cold dammit, and even so, cannot give up my habit of ice water. So while I sit here in my cozy chair, sipping said beverage whilst curled up in a warm blanket, I shall be shaking my fist at the cursed Midwest weather, and waiting for signs that Winter’s tyranny is drawing to a close.