Some like it hot, some like it cold

FROM MY FRONT PORCH

Some like it hot, some like it cold

SAM HOUSTON

Sam Houston is the publisher of the Hood County News. He is also an actor, author, playwright, performer and entertainment producer/promoter.

With the recent turn to cold and blustery conditions, a lot of conversation has been focused on the weather. Texas weather in December and January is always an interesting and dicey topic. One day might be 75 degrees with people wearing T-shirts and flipflops, and just as easily the next day could be below freezing temperatures with wind blowing a gale. Neither extreme seems to last very long, but they sure become the focus of attention.

Our recent spat of cold caused the cancellation of thousands of air flights during the peak holiday season and kept well-intended travelers from getting to their holiday destinations. Pipes froze, fireplaces were burning, and folks generally stayed at home praying the electric grid would keep up.

I will never understand why but seems people are either cold-weather people or warm-weather people. When it is July and the temperature is in the 100’s for days on end, lots of folks complain and beg for fall to arrive. Not saying 100-degree heat is pleasant, but I have always found the heat much more comfortable than temperatures that are below freezing. I could always play ball, build fences, or haul hay in the heat, and it never seemed to stress me much. On the other hand, seems like I could never dress in enough insulated underwear, scarves, and gloves to stay warm when the weather was acting like winter. I think the worst part of cold weather is the uncertainty of travel. Few things are as annoying as driving on icy roads.

Twenty years ago, I worked in Alpena, Michigan one January. Alpena is about 100 miles north of Detroit. It would snow almost every day, and I could look out on the Great Lake and see it was frozen. Folks there loved the winter and told me how much fun it could be with the availability of ice fishing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling. Though the work was profitable, after three or four weeks I concluded that my “window” must face the south, quit the job and I headed home to Texas. When my truck crossed the old Red River, a smile returned to my face, and I felt an inner warmth that had been missing the whole time I was gone. I shiver and get goosebumps even thinking about Alpena. I’m still not certain if it was the warm weather or being back in Texas that put a smile on my face.

It won’t be long until the threat of winter has passed. Folks will be looking for flower seeds and garden things to plant, and begin looking forward to activities on the lake, a spring baseball game, and sitting outside on the porch. There are still weeks to go, and a few more chilly nights, but spring will be here before we know it. For those of you who truly like the cold, the wind and the snow, I hope you get to go to New Mexico or Colorado and enjoy some winter before it disappears. Take plenty of photos and be sure and let me know how much you prefer the cold over the heat. I am going to be patient and wait until spring arrives. It cannot be soon enough for me.

Thought for the day: The temperature just went from 75 to 20, like it was traveling through a school zone and saw a state trooper.

Until next time.

sam@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 260