I find it ironic that this week’s new photo challenge theme is ‘weathered.’
In these parts, weather is all people have been talking about, it seems. Everywhere I go I hear folks discussing and complaining about how cold it is or how snowy or how bad the road conditions are.
And you know what I want to say to them? Buck up. You live in the northeastern United States where we have four distinct seasons. Count ‘em. Four. Spring, summer, fall, AND winter.
It’s winter time. It’s going to be cold. It’s going to snow in these here parts. Deal with it, people.
January is almost always frigidly cold in this neck of the woods. Yes, we’ve been in the lower part of the outdoor thermometer gauge for a couple of weeks.
Again, must I repeat it? It’s winter time. It gets cold here in the winter. And it snows. And it can be freezing. And sometimes, the temperature sits down there near zero degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Someone in my family just told me people from our area were whining about the weather on Facebook and saying they don’t ever remember it being this cold. Well, folks, then you haven’t lived very long or you suffer from some serious memory loss.
(Disclaimer: For all you southern folks and those who live in balmy temperatures year-round, I’m not talking about you. You’re excused. I get it. You’re not accustomed to winter weather. I understand that and I’m sorry you’re experiencing cold temperatures that you’re not prepared for.)
I grew up right here in this little spot of my native state. I was born here and I lived in this area until the Papa of this empty nest walked down a church aisle with me after we vowed our I do’s to one another and he waltzed me out of this region for the next 20 years. But I remember many, many winters as a child, teenager, and young adult that were downright bitter cold with not just inches of snow but feet.
And in the almost 20 years that we’ve been back in this area, we’ve experienced plenty of big snowfalls and several winters that were….well….wintry.
Yes, there have been some mild winters, but honestly, we shouldn’t be surprised when Ol’ Man Winter arrives with a blustery blast of cold weather, snowy horizons, and icy conditions.
It’s what he does.
And really, Weather Channel, since when did we need to name snowfalls? And call them snow storms? Why do you insist upon scaring people about an upcoming snow so much that they have to run right out to the store to stock up on milk, bread, and toilet paper??
So my selection for this ‘weathered’ photo theme is the weather outside my house. It has looked like this for the last couple of weeks. And it’s looked like this for many winters before this one. Even though it’s supposed to warm up today, it will probably get cold again and snow will cover the ground once more.
Because it’s winter.
If I sound a bit cranky, it’s not the winter season that’s weathering my patience, it’s people and their reactions to it. Just like the old saying, “This too shall pass.”
“If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm.” ~ Frank Lane
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Mama's Empty Nest 
I agree: it’s not winter that is bad, it’s the media that hypes about it and the people who complain so loudly about it. I love the kids in this rural area whose response to winter is “Let’s go out and play in it!”.
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Exactly, Montucky! Our little granddaughter loves playing in it and took her first sled ride by herself the other day. “Again, Nana, again!” she kept saying.
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I so agree with you. I live in Southern Ontario, in what used to be called the ‘snow belt’. Winters when I was young were longer, colder, and MUCH snowier that what we’ve experienced in the last 20 or so years (and – guess what? – we SURVIVED and THRIVED). People now complain if we get an inch or two of snow (and heaven help us if the prognosticators call for 4 to 6 inches – you’d think it was the end of the world; they’ve even taken to closing schools and cancelling buses on the mere THREAT of a ‘major snow event’ – YIKES!) The very frigid temps this past month have been hard to deal for many (especially those with small children and babies who have to be bundled up and protected from frostbite) but they weren’t life-threatening. I suppose the weather gives people something (other than politics and the price of gas) to talk about, but I am really, really tired of it being the first and last thing on everyone’s minds and tongues. It’s WINTER, people – deal with it.
(And, oh my goodness – it does make the landscape around us beautiful. Yesterday morning everything was coated in a thin layer of ‘frozen fog’, which turned the forests into a winter wonderland unlike anything I’ve ever seen – it quite literally took my breath away! You won’t get THAT at 10 degrees above freezing!)
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My friend, we are kindred spirits! Yes, yes, and yes, I found myself nodding my head over and over again while reading your comment. Honestly, what kind of people are we turning into? God forbid we should ever have to endure REAL hardships. I don’t think many will survive. I love the beautiful snowy landscape and I also just breathe a sigh of “AHHHH” at the winter wonderland when the trees are covered with snow or frost. Thank you for coming alongside me on this one!
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Well said Mama, and I heartily echo your sentiments.
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I knew you would. 😉
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I say that every time they issue a massive winter weather alert and talk endlessly about the weather. Yes. It is winter. It is expected. We have had a few years when the winters were mild but the winters now are what I remember from growing up. Spring will come –it always does. Just have to hang in there. You didn’t sound cranky at all–you are just echoing what I have been saying as well!
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I want to ask people when did we all turn into a bunch of wimps?!? We don’t have to endure the winter weather as difficult as it was for our ancestors or even parents for that matter. Glad you agree with me, my friend! We’ll just grin and bear it (and the whiny people) together. 😬
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