Winter with a Vengence

Wouldn’t you know that we had mild winter weather which I was enjoying even if other people weren’t and then the new semester starts and we are slammed.  We’ve had rain, snow, and frigid weather.  The temps without windchill have been in the single digits mostly but the windchill has been well below zero. 
The problem with this is it makes it exceedingly difficult to clear snowy and icy surfaces.  When people do their oh-my-it-is-fucking-cold rush to their vehicles, they have to also do some sort of winter waddle to avoid slipping on the sidewalks and parking lots. 
The cold is like a hot knife slipping through butter.  It makes my lungs feel like they are going to shatter.  It steals my breath and slices through layers of clothing with complete disregard for the aches I’m already feeling.  The chill cuts through every layer as if I were standing naked. 
Today they are calling for another snow bombing.  They say up to 7 inches but who knows.  This is one field where you are allowed to be wrong frequently.  The sky is low and gray.  It weighs down the landscape like an anchor.  The cold clings to everything with a dampness that penetrates my joints making me feel 90 instead of 47. 

There is a beauty in this cycle.  I know there is a lot of grumbling over the weather.  I would rather be home by my fireplace during the bad weather but looking outside you sense the cycle of the seasons.  Yes it is cold and the roads will suck before noon unless I miss my guess.  However, the snow and the cold allow the plant and the earth to rejuvenate.  The snow will help replenish the water table.  The cold, as it is meant to, will keep people inside and slowing down literally and figuratively.  If the snow is chaotically blowing and making travel impossible you can’t go out in it without a somewhat serious risk.  When we aren’t scurrying around from place to place we are forced to do more insular things like reading, crafting, cleaning house, and just being inside.