Winter Is Here?

The news keeps saying something about "the first day of winter".

Now when it comes to this, I just have to assume the media is correct. I have no way to verify it.

I suppose I could mention that there is a plan in the works to go fishing. And these plans do not include making a hole in ice.

Actually Ill take that back. You do kind of have to make a "hole" in the ice. See once the cooler has ice in it you have to shove the beer bottles into the cooler with enough force to displace some of the ice cubes.

That is kind of like making a hole. Sort of. You just do not need a saw.

Now I could be a dick and talk about air and water temperature here. But I will not. You see - water temperature in the bay is a tad low for my tastes. As a result, there will be no swimming. Yea I could go out and buy a 3mm wetsuit - but I do not want to. I can wait a couple of months and it will be extra warm again.

But for the rest of you, the solstice happened yesterday. So that means that the days will get longer from this point on. The spring equinox will have a day and night of equal length. Summer solstice will be the longest day.

So it is really with some degree of sorrow for me when winter solstice rolls around. Its not like I want the rest of you to freeze.....but.......

It is just so darn nice here for the winter. There is excitement over an approaching cold front. It is like the whole world is air conditioned. I can open the windows and I do not feel like I am in some lame remake of "The Birds" only with less birds and more bugs.

It becomes possible to venture into the swamp without needing to bring a few units of blood with you.

So to this years winter solstice I raise a glass of beer. Beer which I need to keep in the fridge, because if I put it outside it would get warm. Too warm really. The fine beer I am drinking now really needs to be no colder than 60 or 65.

I have no idea what that translates into if you use a non US temperature scale.