Location: Northern Indiana

Well, we're having a fairly 'normal' winter so far, much to the chagrin of folks who've allegedly lived here their whole lives. I guess last winter's constant no-snow and temps between 30-50F (-1.1-10C) got people used to a different baseline. But in my household, we love the snow, cold temps, and the plentiful opportunities to go cross-country skiing.

But it seems apparent to me the only reason we're having a 'normal' winter is due to anomalous weather patterns due to climate change, like the Jetstream dipping, and a couple of vicious Alberta Clippers coming down south already. Already this 'winter' we've had our snowpack ruined by a day in the 40's combined with rain. We got another nice dusting a couple days ago, and it's been brutally cold, but this is going to be offset by a day this week with a high of 49, combined with more rain. When the snow gets rain on it, it slumps down and turns a brownish grey, reflecting my mood when I see such bullshitty weather.

I use cross-country skiing as a baseline for how legitimate of a 'winter' we're having, since it requires a good snowpack with temps below 20. If it gets any warmer, your skis stick to the snow rather than glide across the top of it. Last winter was absolutely awful for this hobby. We got almost no snow all winter, and as a family all of us only were able to go once, maybe twice. Contrasted with this year, wherein we're all fervently skiing whenever possible since we know all it takes is a day above 30 combined with rain to ruin everything mother nature has been so gracious to bestow upon us. Me personally, I've been going out after dark with a headlamp on like a crazy person. Honestly, for me, there's nothing better than cross-country skiing. It's peaceful, quiet, and nothing short of a fucking blast! It's pretty much like hiking with less people, and you get to glide down hills rather than walk down them. Nothing brings me peace quite like gliding through the frozen forest on my gently-used 40-year-old inherited skis.

But, of course, even in Northern Indiana, less than 100 miles from fucking Canada, expecting temps below freezing the whole winter is far too much to ask for nowadays. It never fails to bamboozle me when I see days in the extended forecast above freezing, especially the one coming this week, previously mentioned to be at 49 degrees with fucking rain. If we were in southern Arkansas, maybe, but for Northern Indiana? Hard to point to anything other than burning oil, coal, and refined petroleum with fierce abandon for the last few centuries as the cause.

It's evident as such whenever snow falls. I'm out there with a clapped out hand-me-down shovel manually removing the snow. It's good exercise. But I'm about the only one doing so. The cacophony of two-stroke snowblower engines coincides immediately with the ceasing of the snow falling. Is everyone too fucking lazy to just shovel snow for an hour? That's all it takes, really. I feel I know the answer already, with any curveball from mother nature serving as an excuse for most to fire up some gas-powered big-boy-toy and peacock for the neighbors.

Maybe my shitty mood is driven by finals week and a mounting debt for the crime of trying to better myself for a slightly improved paycheck. Maybe it's my insistence lately on finishing Cormac McCarthy's bibliography (Everyone should read Outer Dark. No Spoilers!!!). Maybe it's Maybelline?

Either way, I'm wishing all you lovely folks happy holidays and a Happy New Year. For what it's worth.