Dec 17 2008
Feeling Lucky
In light of the recent winter disasters happening across the north-east of our country, ice storms and power outages, pine trees crashing through roofs and the severe below zero cold being experienced, I feel pretty lucky to be in Florida right now.
Sure, Mother Nature can be fickle here, this simply isn’t our time of the year for her to act up down here, making all of us flee before her fury. I have seen weather so cold that the wind burns and you are bundled up until you can hardly move. Growing up in Colorado and seeing winter flex its muscle in Wyoming and Illinois will give you a whole new definition of cold.
Do I miss it? At times, yet I can always see snow in pictures or watch the news to revive old memories. I don’t know if growing older makes a difference or if it’s just me, but I don’t handle the cold at all any more. Working in sub-zero temperatures is hell itself, too cold to go without gloves, yet gloves don’t lend themselves well to working. Having to stop work and warm up enough to move before returning to work, spending eight or more hours a day out in it year after year takes all the wonder out of the winter wonderland.
Do I miss the mountains? Terribly! The people in them as well! Frostbite? Not at all.
Thomas H. Forthe
