Braving the Cold

A 30-degree rise in temperatures seemed like a heat wave, when the thermometer finally abandoned the subzero weather for the luxury of merely freezing. Spring is less than a week off and it finally feels like it.

Think back for a moment about the stretches of bitter cold. We did manage to weather it, those of us who didn’t cop out to some warmer place like Florida, Arizona, or the Bahamas. We stuffed some extra insulation around the water pipes and maybe left some faucets dripping all night. If they froze anyhow, we turned off some valves and used a heat gun to thaw out the pipes. Sometimes we had to call in the plumber. We got the car going, perhaps with a jump start from a neighbor, and waited while the engine warmed up and the heater warmed the inside. We put on extra layers of clothing and maybe even a face mask to protect against the deadly wind chill.

Through it all, we enjoyed the beautiful sight of crisp, clear skies and drifts of white snow. We ventured out for some sledding or skiing. And we had the wry pleasure of watching the nation’s capital struggling for a change with a natural phenomenon that was nobody’s fault instead of terrorist plots, squabbles with allies, and preparations for war. While our Maine snowplows were busy, Washington relied on its own method of snow removal – waiting until it melted.

The weather service says the winter was no record, either for cold or snow, but those who were out regularly in it know that it should count for something – relentlessness, perhaps. But now that the siege of bitter cold is over, there is satisfaction and a bit of pride for those who were here all winter. We coped, and we can cope again if it makes a return trip before spring finally shows up.