Sense and Nonsense

This had been a most unusual winter. The mild temperatures and low snow levels have pleased everyone except the skiers and some other winter sports enthusiasts.

There are some who are regarding the weather with suspicion. They worry that we will eventually have to pay for our comfort. They pessimistically predict that it will probably be subtracted from our quota of fun in the sun next summer.

I prefer to believe that the warm temperatures have been a just reward. We already have had our share of crummy summers and just two winters ago we suffered through some of the longest cold spells on record. I believe that we actually deserve this winter!

The meteorologists are saying that the weather has had a “summer pattern” to it. I remember one winter, when we lived close to a sawmill, that the snow in our yard had a summer pattern to it. Excess fly ash and sawdust had escaped from a defective burner and camouflaged the snow cover. The brown-toned coating gave the illusion of late fall, if not summer, to the normally white winter terrain.

One day I watched our cat stroll, with typically feline arrogance, across the brown road and climb to the top of the brown snow-bank. He paused momentarily to survey his kingdom before continuing on his journey. The instantly frantic animal almost disappeared as he sank through the brown sugar topping and floundered in two feet of the finely granulated stuff. He had to literally “swim” his way back to terra firma!

One inconvenience of the mild weather has been the icy conditions on the back-roads and driveways. Our yard has been a sheet of ice for most of the winter. I finally remembered to buy a bag of the material that is normally used to keep the cat`s box dry and sanitary. Apparently its moisture absorbing qualities are wonderful for reducing the slippage on winter walkways.

The other day I noticed a member of the family donning winter boots  and preparing to go out into the Great Outdoors.

“Why don`t you take the Kitty Litter out with you?” I suggested.

He did not answer me. A variety of expressions crossed his countenance. At our home we have both indoor and outdoor facilities and I suddenly realized that he had planned on visiting the little house out back!