Cold Nights, Warm Planet

It was cold outside last night.

Why, in some parts of the country, it snowed.

Therefore, global warming is a hoax.

Excuse me while I bang my head against the wall for a few minutes.  Please have a delicious beverage while I'm gone.

Okay, I'm back.

These early morning blog stories are not meant to be scholarly exercises, with tons of references and notes, but it does not take much investigation to realize that a) the average global temperature is indeed going up, and at an alarming rate and 2) that will cause global shifts in weather patterns, some of which may involve greater moisture and arctic air shifting further south as air currents change.  Ask Alaska about the winter - they are having one of their warmest ones ever.

Anyhoo, I prefer colder weather to warmer weather.  Dropping below freezing, as happens here occasionally  in the winter, can be a disturbing surprise, particularly as it never seems to snow when it does.  It seems a waste of cold to not snow, but I guess when we do get cold enough, it is dry arctic air that causes it.  Then it will warm back up and when it does, that is when the rains come.  Sigh.

Cold nights down here in South Georgia are hard to enjoy, not just because of the unexpected chill, but because everyone is so stressed about their pipes freezing.  I've been told it is because of the type of pipes here are not as cold resistant as the ones up north, something to do with PVC or something, I don't really know.  Really?  Like it's never going to get cold down here?  Are the pipes used here so much cheaper than up north that it's worth stressing all winter, or the cost of a break when it occurs?  Jeesh!  C'mon, people!  It does get cold sometimes - take the hit and get the better pipes!

I like it best when the temperature is no higher than 58.  I love to walk outdoors when I don't have to worry about a cloud of gnats surrounding my head.  But there is very little outdoor walking by me in the winter, because I am in tax season, and I don't often see the world in daylight.  So most of my favorite season here is spent in my cloistered, windowless attic office.

But speaking of winter, guess what Olympics is around the corner?  That's right - the Winter Olympics!  It's in a place called Sochi.  It's in Russia.  South Russia, on the Back Sea, near the Republic of Georgia.

Georgia.

Snow?

Well, let's wish them the best.