Are you as sick of winter as I am?
In late January, seeing grass in my yard except for little spots of snow left next to the end of my driveway, I jokingly suggesting that I should get that lawn mower blade sharpened soon.
Since then, I’ve been wearing out my Chota hiking boots by wearing them not only on morning walks but to work.
What a difference a month makes. I love my dependable little Toro CCR 2000 Snowthrower, but come on! I can usually gauge how bad the winter has been by whether I go through a gallon of gas/oil mixture in a season. Judging from the forecast for tonight and tomorrow, I’d better stop and get more gas in that now-empty tank.
When pup Molly and I stepped out at dawn this morning, pink sky greeted us to the east. “Pink sky in morning, sailors take warning.” OK, so there aren’t any sailors around this part of Wisconsin this time of year, unless you count ice boaters on Geneva Lake. Plenty of motorists, however, should take warning from this forecast. It might pack the biggest wallop we’ve had here in Rock County all season.
On Feb. 2, the groundhog in Sun Prairie suggested we’d have an early spring instead of six more weeks of winter. Well, here we are, more than four weeks later, and the forecast for today and tonight isn’t springlike. That prediction reminds me that one of the forecasters at a Madison TV station was predicting a couple of days before last week’s snow that we would get less than two inches here. Then, a couple of days ago, another one suggested we might avoid the brunt of the storm that’s to start later today. Now, they’re talking like we’ll get anywhere from 5 to 10 inches.
I’m tired of driving on slick roads, slogging through snow that homeowners fail to shovel promptly if at all, and slipping and sliding on icy sidewalks.
I don’t ice fish or ice skate. I don’t snowmobile, and I haven’t had the time or inclination to strap on my old cross-country skis for a couple of years.
I hear the birds singing each morning. In his column in Sunday’s Gazette, D.S. Pledger detailed the signs of spring—the first birds to arrive back in our neck of the world and the first budding plants.
I doubt we’ll be enjoying any of that come tomorrow.
I’m sick of this weather. I’m ready for spring. Aren’t you?
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Mar 5, 2013 at 7:04 p.m.
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Old timer ,I agree I have heard them for 4 to 5 days now and I love it ! Won't be long now.
Mar 5, 2013 at 11:59 a.m.
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I love winter and cold weather. What is winter without snow? It makes everything beautiful and quiet. It's a restful season. The snow replenishes our groundwater. The only downsides are the short days and plowing costs, but I prefer winter over sweltering/noisy/humid/buggy summer any day.
Mar 5, 2013 at 10 a.m.
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How can you be sick of winter already??? It's not even May yet!
Mar 5, 2013 at 6:23 a.m.
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Yes it is time for the snow to melt and become a distant memory. Redwings and Robins should start showing soon. The Southern types can brag about their warmth right now, but we will trump that in May, June, July, August when it is too hot for them to even think about stepping outside, we will be complaining because it is a "hot" 85 degrees and they will be at 110, unfit for human habitation. :-)
Mar 4, 2013 at 7:35 p.m.
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garyprimer: I live in the south and I enjoy hearing Greg complain. Makes me feel good all over. When people here in Arkansas complain about a day being cold I tell them that in Wisconsin we call a day like that " August." I like to read about Molly and Cheryl. I would like to see their picture more often.
Mar 4, 2013 at 6:41 p.m.
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hg- to stand in front of a green screen and show the weather and it has to line up to the map that they cannot see :)
That day it was mid 40 out a few weeks ago was refreshing. Today mid 30 but damp and no sun. yuk.
Mar 4, 2013 at 6:38 p.m.
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old timer- I heard them too. I think last week and week before just a couple cherps. Love to hear that. Just think if it was nice all of the time we wouldn't appreciate it so much.
Mar 4, 2013 at 6:36 p.m.
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Yes- but there is still plenty of time left. We have had big storms in April before and even early May. Sick of it but again it seems pretty mild compared to most.
Mar 4, 2013 at 4:04 p.m.
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It's okay to hate the snow, Greg.
If someone doesn't like to hear you complain,
they should move south.
Mar 4, 2013 at 3:38 p.m.
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Yes. Enough already - let's see some sun and something green instead of white and brown !
Mar 4, 2013 at 3:20 p.m.
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Don't like the winter then move south. People spend a lot of time and effort planning winter events and many people depend on the snow for income. This is Wisconsin! Deal with it or leave it!!
Mar 4, 2013 at 3:13 p.m.
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mgcarguy, we are suppose to reach that here in Janesville on friday 3/8
Mar 4, 2013 at 3 p.m.
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Wouldn't it be nice to have a job like the weather men and women? You do not have to be right at anything you predict. And if you are not sure of anything then just use the word "chance". Must be nice. It is like the weather forcast I read online this morning for the extended forcast. " Chance of snow Friday, Saturday or Sunday. There may be a mixture of rain on one of those days". Thats like me saying," I might come to work and if I do, I may not do anything." And here we are in the modern world with all our vast knowledge and we still cannot predict the weather as a fact. Is there really any schooling that goes into becoming a weather man or woman? Since everything is either a chance or a possiblility.
Mar 4, 2013 at 12:01 p.m.
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We are having a late spring in Arkansas also. It will only reach the mid 50's today.
Mar 4, 2013 at 11:49 a.m.
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Welcome back!
Mar 4, 2013 at 10:49 a.m.
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Funny thing about Groundhog Day. 6 more weeks of winter puts it mid-March which is also an early spring. So the groundhog is like a 2 headed coin. Always right. Guess we got spoiled by last years lack of winter. I will gladly take as much snow as we can get to recover some of the deficit from the drought last year. But then I no longer have to go to work in it so have a different perspective despite not snowmobiling or skiing.
Mar 4, 2013 at 10:38 a.m.
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When I went out early this morning the cardinals were singing, that's a first sign we are over the hill.
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