Over the weekend my wife and I were watching a local weather report, which of course is one of the most popular forms of entertainment on television, second only to Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy; and as we always do on Sunday night, pay particular attention to the long range forecast so we have something to talk about when we arrive at work on Monday morning.

The meteorologist on this particular evening was a gentleman who I have met on several occasions, and I guess I trust his predictions more than some of the others who offer weather guesses on the other stations. As he unveiled his seven day forecast, our eyes were drawn in particular to Saturday & Sunday of January 14 & 15. The temperature predictions were above freezing, albeit not much above freezing, but still when you are trying to have a positive attitude about the weather, having a 32 above zero without wind chill in the middle of January does a lot for your psyche.

Both Sue and I offered a cheer, “ Wow! Could it be true? Above freezing! Yes!”

Remember if you will a few months ago, say October, when we were all watching weather aps and local reports for the day that the temperature drifted below freezing. Followed just a month later when the prediction was for below zero temps, and much below wind chills, like in the -20 degree range. “Why do we live up here? This is certainly going to be brutal.”
Shortly after that we hit the two weeks from heck, with snow & wind that was followed by seven days when the temperature was not going to get above zero, for a high. This was certainly good news.

On Sunday night we were going to turn off the TV and head for bed on a high note when my friend brought a smile to our faces. He said “I can’t see any below zero temps for the next two weeks. All of those below zero temps, well they were before Christmas. L think we are headed into a more temperate cycle, with the mercury well above zero, and I don’t see a lot of snow on the horizon. In general, enjoy the weather the next two weeks.”

So, what am I saying. Well, my friend John had just talked us off the edge of the cliff. Less than two weeks ago we were not very happy campers. “Dang, it was cold! Who lives us hear?” Christmas cards from many of our friends arrived with shots of their winter homes, swimming pools, beach trips…well you get the idea.

Thirty-two degree temps in January gives us hope. Of course, there will be more below zero days, and we are not done with snow shoveling yet, but we can take it in stride. We may not have to use our car starters on every occasion. I think the word John, my meteorologist friend used was “climatized”. Thirty-two degrees seems warm, right? I even caught myself noting in an email to my son who lives in California that it has warmed up. On that particular day it was 80 degrees and he and his wife were headed to Disneyland, and they were wearing shorts. He was quick to point out their choice of apparel for the day, noting that we probably would still be wearing winter coats.

But who cares! In California they won’t experience the beauty of frosted trees after a foggy winter morning, or the spectacular northern lights on an evening when the sky is absolutely crystal clear. Heck, it’s only two weeks until we turn the calendar to February and have a real chance at temperatures that melt the snow.

If I sound like a recorded message for Visit Minot, please understand that over the years we have found a tolerance for cold temps, even though we don’t like them. We have come in from shoveling snow and remarked how it is keeping us in shape.
Winter in North Dakota? I really believe there are more good days, than bad. A weekend with above freezing temps. We’ll take it. And as my dad used to tell me, “It’s all in your head, son. It’s how you look at things. Is the glass half empty, or half full, of ice?”
Best Kept Secrets
The Roosevelt Park Zoo is open all through the winter months, and there is still a lot to see. I will agree that summer is indeed a better time to visit RPZ, but if you have kids who are stir crazy and need somewhere to vent some energy, give Roosevelt Park Zoo a try. Winter hours are 10 AM to 3 PM daily.
Today’s Chuckle
For some people, life is an enchanted dance close to the flame; for others, it’s the hokey-pokey next to the heating pad.
That’s Life
I keep having issues with the WiFi in my home. Why? Because my computer keeps locking onto the WiFi created by the neighbor’s refrigerator. Seriously, do refrigerators need WiFi?