Hard to be patient for summer

On Tuesday the temperatures in Wisconsin were downright balmy, at least for an early February day. The temperatures soared into the low 30’s, and I almost feel embarrassed to say thirty degrees never felt so good.

It’s a sign you’re from Wisconsin when you say something like that without a trace of irony. The months of December and January have conditioned us Wisconsinites to the cold weather to the point where anything above the teens feels good.

I think I speak for everyone when I say I am ready for this arctic weather to go back where it belongs - the North Pole.

I think everyone is ready for a change in the seasons at this point. November and December we can handle. After all, who doesn’t like putting on a cozy sweater, putting on a fire or getting a mug of hot cocoa and relaxing as the snow drifts lazily through the air?

Those two months are always full of busyness anyway. You’ve got Thanksgiving and then Christmas to get ready for, and that can take up anyone’s time. And there’s bright lights and decorations that go with it!

But once the decorations come down, it’s January and February, and these two months are a just big all slog through hours of darkness, temps in the single digits or even negatives and just a lot of gray, dullness.

The snow gets dirty and coats everything in an off gray color that makes everything look drab. The salt from the roads coats and corro des cars and vehicles, and after awhile, even the allure of a log on the fire, or a cup of hot cocoa or big snowflakes loses its allure.

After all, you have to shovel that snow sooner or later, the hot cocoa can only make the cold go away for so long, and that log on the fire starts to dry your skin out.

Yup, I’m no fan of long winters. People hear you’re from Wisconsin and assume you love it, but just because you’re used to something doesn’t mean you’re particularly enamored of it.

So when you get those days in February where the mercury slowly begins to rise, and the days slowly begin to grow longer, it makes one long for spring and summer so badly.

January and February are the hardest months for me, but if I get through those months, the other ten are a piece of cake by comparison. There are still going to be more frigid days in the forecast. I mean, this is Wisconsin after all, and an early spring just doesn’t happen around here.

But on the other hand, it’s hard to ignore the evidence of one’s eyes, and being able to walk around outside with a hint of daylight at 6 p.m. does wonders for one’s spirit and disposition.

So, let’s grit our teeth and bear the next few weeks. Spring will get here eventually, and on its own time, in spite of what prognostications a groundhog might say.

So, just a few more weeks, my friends, and the snow will begin to melt. Let’s all be nice and be patient!

M USINGS AND G RUMBLINGS

ROSS PATTERMANN REPORTER