Just like the weather
Folklore has it that some native tribes of the region called this time of year "the moon of popping trees," referring to the sounds emitted by cracking trunks in the cold night air. Last night was like that. Just how cold was it? I'll put the boring weather info under a cut.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
921 AM CST FRI JAN 21 2011
...FRIGID TEMPERATURES CHILL THE NORTHLAND...
THE FOLLOWING ARE OBSERVED LOW TEMPERATURES THROUGH 900 AM FRIDAY
JANUARY 21 2011. TEMPERATURES ARE IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
TEMP LOCATION ST COUNTY SOURCE
---- ----------------------- -- -------------- -------
-46 INTERNATIONAL FALLS MN KOOCHICHING ASOS
-46 BABBITT MN ST LOUIS COOP
-43 EMBARRASS MN ST LOUIS COOP
-43 BIGFORK MN ITASCA RAWS
-43 ASHLAKE MN ST LOUIS MNDOT
-43 EFFIE MN ITASCA RAWS
-40 BIRCHDALE MN KOOCHICHING MNDOT
-39 MINONG WI WASHBURN RAWS
-38 KABETOGAMA MN ST LOUIS COOP
-38 CRANE LAKE MN ST LOUIS AWOS
-37 HILL CITY MN ITASCA RAWS
-37 ELY MN ST LOUIS RAWS
-36 LONGVILLE MN CASS AWOS
-36 PINE RIVER MN CASS AWOS
-36 SEAGULL LAKE MN COOK RAWS
-36 WRIGHT MN ST LOUIS COOP
-34 GUNFLINT LAKE MN COOK COOP
-34 HAYWARD WI SAWYER RAWS
-33 GRAND RAPIDS MN ITASCA AWOS
...and so on down the list.
Anyway, I think we finally hit the bottom of this winter blast, and now we're going to scrape around for a few days and then begin to slowly claw (and thaw) our way out. Still, this is the one time of year when I turn into a crazy man when no one is looking. I yell at the atmosphere. I curse its fickleness out of pure personal frustration. A change in her mood or pressure is all that's needed to undo a whole day's work. If I were to use winter as a metaphor for life, it can all seem so pointless sometimes -- maybe not pointless in totality, but pointless to grow attached to anything, or to be prideful of your actions. You may have a shovel, maybe even a plow; but the snow is not here for you. It is here in spite of you.
