A winter to be remembered
By June Bower — special to the CNA
Granted, I know I’m getting older, but this winter has really tested my patience.
People much younger than I am say they are just as sick of the weather, and many are wondering if they can endure another month or two of it.
We Iowans are tough, but seriously, there is a limit.
I keep reminding myself this is a historic winter, one that we’ll be talking about for years. The problem is many of our recent winters have been pretty darn historic. While some of my relatives suffered through major electricity outages during the recent ice storm, I haven’t forgotten my own experience just two years ago in December when ice knocked out my own electricity for five days and cost me several nice trees and $500 to get it all cleaned up.
Those who refuse to believe man-made toxins in the air contribute to global warming are having a field day with the whole nation experiencing below average temperatures. Although there’s no question we should all take better care of our planet, I, like most folks, have too little scientific knowledge to know what’s really going on in the atmosphere.
For all I know, global warming in the arctic regions could be causing things to be screwed up in our part of the world. I just haven’t studied the whole issue enough to be certain. However, I am willing to accept the preponderance of evidence cited by a huge majority of scientists that the ice is melting in places it shouldn’t be melting.
And I’m wondering why I would refuse to believe these scientists when they say humans might be contributing to it; they know a heck of a lot more about it than I do.
We were told our extreme weather in late December was caused by a jet stream that plunged too far south for weeks at a time, bringing frigid temperatures to the Midwest, and freezing conditions as far south as Florida. When the jet stream lifted, we finally got more moderating temperatures — for awhile at least.
I know we should be thankful we aren’t experiencing the west coast’s mudslides and heavy flooding and grateful we’re not suffering through devastating earthquakes like Haiti.
Still, ice and snow, extreme cold, strong winds, and, oh, yes, the fog, do take their toll. It hasn’t been easy to keep our spirits up. The good people who clean our roads and streets must be worn out. The elderly who dare not venture out on to the ice and didn’t see the sun for weeks, must be struggling with depression and loneliness.
There’s no doubt about it, the sun does help. The endless days of fog were wearing on one’s psyche.
I have been walking like a penguin for so long, I may not have a normal gait anymore.
There are many who still have corn standing in the fields, getting battered over and over by the elements. It’s been so discouraging, my kids are all saying when they are older, they plan to leave Iowa during January and February.
We’ll see. When the time comes to choose between going south for the winter and attending grandchildren’s school activities, they may feel differently. For myself, I can’t imagine not seeing my kids and grandkids for several weeks or months at a time.
I remember reading a long time ago that weather comes in approximate 20-year cycles, accounting for 20 years of rather mild conditions and good times for farmers, followed by difficult conditions and tough times for those trying to plant and harvest crops.
My son-in-law who began farming nearly 20 years ago often speaks of the several years of good weather he remembers then, and how different the weather has been the past four or five years. Either, we’re in one of those bad cycles right now or global warming really is messing with the atmosphere.
Or, as I’m beginning to wonder, perhaps we’re entering another ice age. That should make those who scoff at global warming feel triumphant for sure.
