Spring is on its way!

[Jack 06]

Any winter blues out there?

Man, I used to suffer in upstate NY (foothills of the Adirondacks), where winter seemed to grind from November through March. Twenty to thirty below wasn't that uncommon, and as a kid we used to live for school closures because most of the buses were too cold to start. Up at 6:30, listen to the list of closed schools on radio, holler "yay"!, then talk on the phone all day and snack, snack, snack.

But as a young adult I began to hate the deadening grayness, the unending snow shoveling, slipping on the ice, DRIVING on "black ice", perpetually cold feet, feeling TRAPPED in my own home. In middle age, despite learning to ski, it only got worse. "Cabin fever" like clockwork every year at the end of Jan.-early Feb. prompted my wife and I to start taking a week's vacation to go to So. CA and just hang out, mostly in state parks at or near a beach. Finally moved here---more because of winter than any other single factor.

Now I measure our kinda/sorta winter from Thanksgiving 'til Valentine's day. It's only a rainy season---and some flowering plants still grow, even though the lawn goes dormant. I don't acknowledge "winter". It's BAM, BAM, BAM: college bowl games, Christmas, New Year, NFL playoffs, Super Bowl. (Winter is the only reason to follow football for me any more. I'm getting to loathe all pro sports 'cept baseball.)

Then glorious February: trees start to flower, lawns start up again, time to prep the garden soil for Mar./Apr. planting, an occasional freaky day in the 70's to pump up the bike tires---and Spring Training starts! Go, A's! It may still rain until Mar. or even into Apr, but life has returned full force.

How's winter for you? (OK, OK, Floridians, I know, I know...)

(For those bored by a longish soliloquy like this, move right along. )

[heliotropehead]

I'm still waiting on winter. I'm told it's just around the corner, but I'm not seeing the signs. I used to wish for a white Christmas, which last year I actually got! Now I'm wishing for a cold Christmas. The weather has been so screwy this year.

[GreenMachine]

Originally posted by Jack 06@Nov 30 2005, 03:13 AM
Any winter blues out there?

Man, I used to suffer in upstate NY (foothills of the Adirondacks), where winter seemed to grind from November through March.  Twenty to thirty below wasn't that uncommon, and as a kid we used to live for school closures because most of the buses were too cold to start.  Up at 6:30, listen to the list of closed schools on radio, holler "yay"!, then talk on the phone all day and snack, snack, snack.

But as a young adult I began to hate the deadening grayness, the unending snow shoveling, slipping on the ice, DRIVING on "black ice", perpetually cold feet, feeling TRAPPED in my own home.  In middle age, despite learning to ski, it only got worse.  "Cabin fever" like clockwork every year at the end of Jan.-early Feb. prompted my wife and I to start taking a week's vacation to go to So. CA and just hang out, mostly in state parks at or near a beach.  Finally moved here---more because of winter than any other single factor.

Now I measure our kinda/sorta winter from Thanksgiving 'til Valentine's day.  It's only a rainy season---and some flowering plants still grow, even though the lawn goes dormant.  I don't acknowledge "winter".  It's BAM, BAM, BAM: college bowl games, Christmas, New Year, NFL playoffs, Super Bowl.  (Winter is the only reason to follow football for me any more.  I'm getting to loathe all pro sports 'cept baseball.) 

Then glorious February: trees start to flower, lawns start up again, time to prep the garden soil for Mar./Apr. planting, an occasional freaky day in the 70's to pump up the bike tires---and Spring Training starts!  Go, A's!  It may still rain until Mar. or even into Apr, but life has returned full force.

How's winter for you?  (OK, OK, Floridians, I know, I know...)

(For those bored by a longish soliloquy like this, move right along. )

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GreenMachine bitch slaps Jack 06

[MNPrius]

Love that avatar Green Machine!

Yes - I have winter blahs, but I live in Minne_SNOW_ta, so I have more to complain about I think :P

[GreenMachine]

Originally posted by MNPrius@Nov 30 2005, 07:45 AM
Love that avatar Green Machine!

Yes - I have winter blahs, but I live in Minne_SNOW_ta, so I have more to complain about I think  :P

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Glad you like my avatar :P Do you think I am gonna need snow tires with my new Prius?

I was in Warroad, MinneSNOWta two weeks ago. I will defer to you on the snow and winter blahs, but not on the Cheese ( edit -- Hummm, I guess it is Wisconson that thinks it has better cheese, sorry bout that.)

As they say around here and prolly say there " We have eight months of winter and four months of damn tough sleddin' "

[Schmika]

How can anyone appreciate spring w/o a winter. Of course, my S/W Ohio winter wouldn't stack up to you far north'ers

[Jack 06]

Poland, NY, 15 mi. N of Utica and about 40 mi. S of Boonville.

My sister still lives in Schenectady.

[olends]

Originally posted by Jack 06@Nov 30 2005, 03:47 PM
Poland, NY, 15 mi. N of Utica and about 40 mi. S of Boonville.

My sister still lives in Schenectady.

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I know poland, its right next to russia, We snowmobile around there on our way to salsbury.

I spent 1 year at Schenectady County CC.

I also graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.


Its not the snow thats the problem, its the yearly ice storms.

[Jack 06]

Originally posted by olends@Nov 30 2005, 01:50 PM

I also graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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They graduate you if, in your senior year, you can spell "Rensselaer" correctly, right? :P And "Poughkeepsie".

Poland...Russia (a township, actually)...Norway...Hoffmeister...I miss it in July only!

[Rancid13]

Winter is my favorite time of year.

Growing up in Southern California I've never had to worry about the bad things winter brings to other parts of the country (ice storms, snow storms, black ice, etc etc). I love winter because it snows in the local mountains and I'm an avid snowboarder, so I love the day-trips (1-2 hour drives) to Mountain High, Big Bear, Snow Summit, and Mount Baldy. I also enjoy frequent weekend trips (being a season pass holder) to Mammoth and June Mountains, a mere 5-hour drive.

I loved the last winter season-we had record rainfall here, and I loved every day of it! I love the rainy season...this is my absolute most favorite time of year and I can't get enough of it.

I even got married in the dead of December so I could incorporate 'wintery' ideas into the wedding: pine cones, pine sprigs, the chapel was decorated w/poinsettias and other Christmas greenery, the reception location (Redondo Beach Historic Library) had 2 huge Christmas trees, one at each end and lots of white twinkle lights throughout. The cake had pine cones, pine springs and what looked like snow drifts (sugar)...there were lots of deep reds and greenery involved. And being Southern CA near the beach in the winter, temps were in the low 70's.

The only thing I don't like about winter is that it gets dark so darned early. After work I like to go for a walk or run on or near the beach, but by 5pm it's already so dark I can't see w/out a flashlight and don't feel comfortable being out alone in such darkness. So I go for shorter walks at lunch now instead.