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I'm not a fan of winter. Neither are my knees or joints. I don't ski or participate in snowboarding. I don't like snowball fights or erecting snowmen or snow forts. I managed to fake an enjoyment in winter activities long enough to give my four kids exposure to those timeless winter experiences that are part and parcel of growing up in one of the plains states. But believe me. I've never been one of those "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" devotees.
So after two brutal winters back to back here, it was with a weary sigh that I watched the calendar inch its way into November and December. And I did all those preparatory practices that veteran midwesterners do to prepare for the onset of winter weather.
I bought big bags of salt. I got the snowblower and my 4 Wheel Drive truck serviced and fueled up. I had the shovels and emergency kits at the ready. And as November ended and December began, I braced for the worst.
But something strange happened. Winter didn't arrive on time. In fact, we ended up with record breaking warm temperatures throughout December. Christmas Day was brown and beautiful.
I thought surely our luck would run out before the new year.
I was wrong. More warm temperatures followed. Lovely warm sunny days with dry roads and easy peasy commutes.
Which brings us to the day before yesterday: January 10. And a balmy SIXTY degrees! So, not wanting to gloat or anything, of course, I had my picture taken to commemorate the winter that wasn't.
I washed both of my vehicles and the house's windows. I put a load of towels on the clotheslines. I took a walk.
And...I jinxed us.
Today we're getting 45 mile an hour wind gusts, snow that has turned to ice on the pavements, and frigid temperatures to follow and I'll be slip-sliding to work in the wee hours this morning.
Oh, well. It was great while it lasted. Sometimes I really wish I lived some place where I didn't have to worry about snow, ice, and doing dipsy-doodles on my way to work.
Tell me. Are you a winter person or a summer person? What has your winter been like? If you wanted a white Christmas, did you get it? If you were able to live anywhere you wanted, where would you decide to call home and why?
I'm giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Certificate to one lucky commenter in the US or CAN only who leaves a comment on todays' blog.
~Bullet Hole~
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The winter that wasn't? I wish...
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Good Morning Kathy!
I'm a winter person. I love the snow (as long as it stays off the roads,) Snuggling by the fire on cold nights, and things of that nature.
Considering how we still had snow until almost April of last year, I'm ok with not having any major winter storms yet this year. Living in Michigan gives you a grab bag of weather. You can go from wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the morning to flannel lined jeans and a parka by that evening.
If I could live anywhere I wanted, I'd stay right here in Michigan. We get the best of both worlds. There's lots to do in the winter and the summer.
Have a great day.
I am not a winter person, I hate the cold and the snow. We have has a mild winter so far I have been going out on walks each day its nice but alas the weather changes today and we have snow on the way. I live in KY and as they say if you don't like the weather give it a day and it will change. Our weather jumps around a lot. I guess you snow is headed our way. I wish we could have the 50 to 60 degrees temps all winter myself.
I'm a winter person I like to stay indoors and read.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com
I am a summer person. I don't like winter or the cold. I always get sick in the winter and I hate that. My fave seasons are Spring and Fall when the weather is just right. We had one snow so far this year. It wasn't too bad. We are supposed to get more snow today. I hope we don't.
amysmith98 @ gmail.com
I'm all about the summer. I'm a beach girl...sand and sun all the way! Hate the winter! We had 60's degrees over the weekend and then an inch of snow on Monday!
I'm not a winter person. I wait all winter for summer to come and dread the coming of winter in the summer time. My husband loves winter so I'm sure I will live out the rest of my years in cold areas. At least I live an hour away from the rocky mountians. If I could live any where I would want to live somewhere that actually has all four seasons. In Colorado we only have winter and summer. I think I would really enjoy the inbetween temperatures.
You must live in the same neck of the woods as I do, Kathy, because we had exactly the same weather as you described. You sound more like my hubby than me. I love winter and was deliriously happy last year with 2 feet of snow. He was crabby as hell this morning with only an inch but fierce winds and biting cold. The funny part is that I am always cold and he is always warm, but I like winter and he is more of a summer person. Go figure!
The only time I love winter is when I'm skiing--as for the best place to live--for me it's Boise, ID. You can see the snow, it's all around in the mountains (well, except for this year, I hear). You can visit the snow, it's a half hour up the road on Bogus Basin--the local ski resort. Snow almost never hits the valley--you may get an inch but it's usually gone by lunch time. When I lived there, Boise didn't have snow plows--seriously! The one time we got quite a bit of snow, they just put a ton of sand down on the roads until you were driving on what looked like brown sugar.
I think I am a winter person, I love sitting inside reading and snuggling under a blanket. Unfortunately I live in TX where the summers seem to last forever and I married a summer person LOL! Atleast this way I dont have to worry about snow or ice on the road :)
I enjoy winter in New Orleans... mostly 60s sometimes 50s - you have about 2 weeks of sweater weather. Not too bad!
I'm a winter person now that I no longer live in Manitoba. Winters in Nova Scotia are much more moderate, and I am grateful daily :-).
I used to be a huge winter person I even snowboarded (not very well, but I did it). That is until we apparently left our garage open for a few hours and some of our neighbors decided to swipe my board (with my expensive step-in bindings), my helmet and my husbands camelbak. I haven't been back snowboarding since. I live in Reno and we had a small amount of snow in October (very freak storm) and we haven't had any since. In fact we reached a record high of about 70 degrees last week. It's only in the 40's this week though (with no precipitation predicted until at least next Friday). I think this is probably the best area to live in if you like both seasons since we do get a hefty dose of snow in the winter (normally) and an incredible amount of sun the rest of the year.
Hi Kathy. Nice photo.
I love summer, heat, sunshine, long summer nights and long summers. I love road trips in the summer, staying at the beach and long walks along the seashore. I hate cold and snow. Always have and am always cold. Great post.
I don't like the weather in any extreme. In theory, I like winter, but by feb, i'mready to off myself so I have loved this year. Blistering heat mid-aug with the high humidity is the absolute worst.
But I do like the change of seasons, and would miss them if I lived elsewhere. So, for now, I am content with right where I am! God bless Iowa!!
Where I used to live for a very long time, I had to contend with winter which I fuond extremely difficult. Now I live in a good climate which has no winter, lots of sunshine and blue skies. Summer makes me feel good and I enjoy the beauty and the warmth of the season.
I lived my first 19 winters in Minnesota. 2 feet of snow was nothing to us. Wind Chill and how fast exposed human skin could freeze at different levels of it was a daily topic of discussion, as it was unlikely school would be canceled until it dropped to -40 below zero. Sometimes I would wash my hair just before leaving for school so that my hair would turn into a crispy helmet by the time I walked the 1/3 mile to the bus stop. (I did stranger things to amuse myself, but that's another story.) My family never vacations, so I didn't know winter any other way!
Then, I married a Southern boy and moved to Alabama. My first winter away from home, it did nothing but rain. When I started seeing Christmas lights against dead grass, I wanted to cry. But looking back, I think that was just homesickness and not an actual longing for a snowy winter.
These days, I'm very content with my ridiculously warm winters--both for the fact that I see more sunshine, and I never have to wear snow pants again. ;P Thanks to the cotton field behind our house, I get to look out and have my fluffy white landscape experience in September. ^_^
Our winter has been mild so far this year but the forecast is for lake effect snow this weekend. I'm ok with the snow but can do without the icy roads when we have rain that turns to snow then temperatures that plummet overnight. Not really a winter or summer person. But that's why I like where I live . . . I love the change of seasons.
We got snow early this year. Lots of snow. And I'm not a winter person. The cold used to not phaze me, but now I find that I would much rather be too hot than cold. 90 degrees is about perfect for me! LOL
This made me chuckle. I'm a fall person. lol I despise summer with a burning passion, which is how the temps make me feel anyway. Winter, I can take it or leave it. I love how pretty the snow is before humans trample on it, but I'm not fond of shoveling and I detest ice in all forms, except the cubes that go into my drinks.
So far, other than the snowstorm that ravaged us in October, today is the first day we saw any winter snow. And that is about gone. It must've snowed while I slept. I woke to white grass but clear roads. It's raining, cold, and it looks like more snow is coming tomorrow, but it's been mild here too.
No 60s. And that's good to me. I like my seasons to be mild but true to who they are. Their identitty crises are wearing a bit thin. ;)
Personally I'm a Fall person. I live in one of the 4 season states (although we haven't seen Winter yet either) and I love the changing colors of Fall.
I agree with you. I am a spring person. Love to see the beginning green after all the white or dirty white snow. We had the same strange weather in PA that you have had. We will be getting snow tonight and wind but unless the forecast is wrong, it's only suppose to be around for a few days and warm up to at least the 40's. I sure hope it isn't snowing in April and May! Once you have to spend hours shoveling and driving in snow it seems to lose it's enjoyment although if I don't have to leave the house I can admire the beauty of a snow storm.
I'm a summer person. I like to be able to go outside without putting multiple layers of outdoor wear on. As for this winter, we didn't get our usual winter weather until yesterday. According to the weather channel, the next 2 weeks will mostly be colder than normal.
I'm a Fall person. I live in the Willamette Valley and it's Eden. I love my state, Oregon. It's got it all: lovely green trees, sunny skies, beautiful water, ocean, mountains, skiing, you name it. Yes we have to put up with some rain but the benefit is BEAUTY. This winter it's not rainy but cold and sunny ~ what's the deal? It's beautiful but my webbed toes are getting cracked, lol.
Can I be both? The only season I really am not fond of is Spring with all it's pollen. I love summer because I'm weird and love to mow my lawn and make it pretty and neat. I love Fall because of the colors and the crispness in the air. And I love winter because on a particularly nasty day I can snuggle inside my home with my cats and kids and hubby and read a book or watch tv and enjoy a hearty stew. Of course I also love getting out in the snow, too. But, since we live in The South we might not get any snow this year if the mild winter keeps up and when it's normal we only get on average three inches and that's once in the winter.
Hugs on your winter finally hitting!
Hello Kathy,
I am one of those rare people who can find the good in any type of weather. A "Little Mary Sunshine" that consistently drives my husband crazy with perky comments inserted into his bitter diatribe regarding the hatefulness of unmerciful Texas winters. Yes, he is a California boy; born and raised just inches from the beach, and unaccustomed to biting winter winds, and unfamiliar white slush falling from the skies. He usually begins his downward spiral in October, while the weather is still decent, in anticipation of the inescapable frigid temperatures that are soon to arrive. This mood usually lasts until the first green blades of grass emerge from their hibernation in early March. I have tried everything to help him better enjoy our lovely Texas winters, even filling our home with light boxes after fittingly (though unprofessionally) diagnosing him with “Winter Blues.” This is our fourth Texas winter, and nothing has really changed, although I seem to find much more humor in his daily tirades. Yes, I have come to embrace their arrival with the same equanimity with which I anticipate the howling winds of winter.
I am totally a summer person. Which stinks in the winter because I live outside of Buffalo. But we have had an awesome winter so far. It has been very mild, in fact mi kids were just out riding their bkes the other day, which never happens in January.
On the other hand it is also bad for us that it has been warm. Most of our snow is Lake Effect, so the longer it takes for the lakes to freeze, the more snow we get. We are not even close to the freeezing point yet.
We are due for the same strom system you are getting. It's supposed to start late tonight. Let winter begin, I guess.
I am a Fall person. If I could live anywhere it would be the desert.
I like cool nights and low humidity. Most of the day I am indoors so whatever outside. I do not like ice. I only like the first snow. And today is our first for the season as well. Its still coming down and apparently everyone forgot how to drive from last year because traffic was a nightmare. 2 days ago it was 70, now its freezing with a windshield in the teens.
I'm more of a Spring and Autumn person, when it's quite mild. To be fair we don't really have Winters here -it's very mild and so far no snow has shown up. I think snow can be very pretty to look at when it's fresh but not for commuting. I'm always scared of slipping and hurting myself and the cold! *Brr* Some seasons the cold weather chaps my skin which isn't fun. I find winter fashions cute though and then there is having fun in the snow. I remember as a child I loved building a snowman and trying to build an igloo.
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/FieryNa/status/157567556989886464
I don't like the heat, but I guess I'm more of a summer person than a winter person. It's hard to look cute when you're layering and wearing a huge bubble jacket. It's been a mild winter so far, but I'm afraid the snow is coming.
We have been lucky too. Last year we had 85 inches by this time. This year I think we have had 5 so far. We're supposed to be getting a storm tomorrow with anywhere from 5-12 inches.
If I could live anywhere I think it would be Hawaii. They don't seem to get too warm or too cold. I'd be happy with an average temp of 80 degrees.
I prefer the Fall or Spring. I like mild weather. I'm very fair skinned so I have to stay covered in the Summer. I'm not a big fan of Winter but since I moved to the Pacific Northwest I'm liking it more. We haven't had any snow yet and I'm fine with it.
geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com
I'm not really a winter person, I'm more of a fall or spring person, because I live in a warm state and summer is a bit too hot. I'd be wishing a long time if I wished for a white Christmas, it doesn't really snow in Central Florida. If I could live anywhere I wanted, I'd probably go back to California, where I'm from, somewhere in the San Diego area or maybe Monterey. I've toyed with the idea of moving to Oregon, but I know they do get snow occasionally, and I'm not sure if I could handle that. I'd be in big trouble trying to get around in it since I've never experienced driving in snow.
Not a winter person either. If I could hibernate I would! Can't wait for spring. Thanks for the chance!
This is not hard question for me because I am definitely a summer bunny. Love the sun, the warm temperatures, swimming in the lake, walking outside in the fresh air. Right now we just had 5 inches of snow outside. Hubby and I are staying inside where its warm.
Hi Refhater!
One thing I DO like about living the Midwest is that we have four very distinct seasons. I just wish the winter one didn't last so very long.
I've really been spoiled this year, Virginia, with the mild temps and lack of snow. Imagine how bummed I'll be when we get dumped on--which is inevitable.
Thanks for commenting!
I like the reading part, Theresa! ;)
I think the older I get, the more I dislike winter, Amy. But I love Spring and Fall.
Thanks for dropping in!
That happened here, too, Kris. A fifty degree temp drop in less than 24 hours. Yikes!
If I had the mountains as compensation, Rebekah, I'd no doubt like the winter much more. ;)
If I had the mountains as compensation, Rebekah, I'd no doubt like the winter much more. ;)
GO KIMA'S HUBBY!
Now I quite like the sound of Boise, Robin!
A summer that lasts forever? Hmmm. Texas sounds mighty nice to me, too, Alison.
My kids went to New Orleans on a band trip, ML, and loved it!
Thanks, Zita, for stopping by Killer Fiction. A milder, more moderate, winter is always welcome.
I saw a bit of Reno several years back when I attended a writing conference there, Sarah, and had a great time.
Sorry about the theft. I'm a dismal failure on snowboards and skis. Another reason not to be a snow fan.
Thanks, Petite! I'm trying to think of a getaway to take the triplets on at the end of this school year. We like hiking and biking and being outdoors (when it's warm and comfortable, that is).
If all of the winters were like this one, Mullymoon, I'd be in Hawkeye State Heaven!
Sunshine always seems to make me feel better, too, Traveler!
Talk about your climate changes, RedPeril! Yikes! Thanks for sharing your story!
I've heard about the lake effect snow, Cheryl, but never experienced it. I do love the changing seasons.
I tolerate the heat much better than the cold, Cynthia. And the cold weather is so much harder on cars than the warm weather.
Jenn, your comment made me smile. I think Mother Nature is having an identity crisis.
My mom's favorite season is fall, Cheryl. I dread to think of what is coming afterwards and that erodes my appreciation somewhat.
Our snow didn't turn out be all that much, catslady. Flurries tomorrow but a warm up coming early in the week with temps in the 40s. Is it possible? Could we make it to February without any measurable snow? I would LOVE that.
Add another summer person to the roster! Yay, Chey!
Since we had flooding issues several years back, I'm not sure lots of rain appeal to me, glittergirl, but at least you don't have to shovel or move it. :)
Yes, you can be both, Brandy. And, indeed, there are times (when I know I don't have to go out) that winter doesn't seem quite so bad.
LOVED your comment and upbeat attitude, mrsgambill! Your hubby is a lucky man--even though he will probably always whine about the winters.
This is definitely a winter for the record books, Erin! Thanks for stopping by Killer Fiction!
Don't you just hate how people seem to forget basic winter driving skills each year,Donna? One thing I like about an uber early commute is that I miss out on many of those drivers.
I must say. I have fonder memories of winter as a child than an adult, Na. ;)
One thing I do like about winter is the fact that I can indulge my jacket and coat thrall, Jane. My children can attest to the fact that I have as many coats as most women have shoes.
I've been to Hawaii once, Kristi, and it was verrrry nice. I wouldn't mind living there either.
It's just been so nice to have an unaccustomed respite from winter, Stacie. I've never been to the northwest. Maybe there will be a writing conference there some time down the line.
The occasional snow isn't a big deal, Barbara. But when we get dumped on in late October and it stays on the ground until March--that is an awfully long winter. That was us last year and the year before. Ugh.
You're welcome Bessamy! And thanks for dropping in!
We're supposed to have sunshine and warmer temps this weekend, Michele, and that should put paid to the little snow we ended up getting.
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