Winter

In early December, the cold came with a vengeance. I was convinced, since the Midwest could be nothing like the South, and thanks to the words of those living here longer than I, that after that first vicious freeze, I would have to tough it out, huddled under a pile of blankets in my apartment while it never got above 26 degrees ghastly grey outside my snow-covered door.

And in December, it was pretty rough. There were periods of time wherein it would not, in fact, come above freezing for many days at a time. I was bewildered and amazed to drive on snow-covered roads (because they would not cancel school for so little..!) and iced parking lots. We went days without seeing the sun behind the thick blanket of snow-bearing clouds. I would wake to find the temperature readout at 1 (okay, that was only once, but really? 7 isn't much better!).

But then, randomly and with little warning, there would be days, or spans of two days, with temperatures reaching into the 50s. Then the 60s. Last week we got to 71. A local was known to say "Well, it's Kansas. It can be in the fifties one day, and back down to 16 the next." Someone neglected to tell me about these high-temperature breakthroughs.

But I'm very glad to have had them. Instead of a long stretch of uninterrupted bleakness, I have been given a day here and there of amazing warmth! I strolled in a dress not so very long ago. If I can have a day like that once in a while, the winter won't be so hard. And I always viewed winter here as the 'hardest part.' So, mentally speaking, the hardest part isn't so hard as I thought. And February is halfway over!

The wind really is the chilling-est factor. Without it, the sun would do a lot to warm us all.

I do hope it snows one more good time, though. I haven't yet been in town and free to sled down the apartment hill (there are hills in Kansas, yes) or take snow-photos in the nearby park. (Soon I can post summer and fall photos, though! Winter ones so far only look like fall, without the leaves)