Downside of a too mild winter
Talking to someone about the weather (yes, it really does come up as a topic of conversation), and we drew parallels between “the good old days” and the current round of frostiness. Although my lawn is well protected, I can’t help but wonder about life in greener pastures.
Photos from the Island (and by extension, the other island where I’ve lived) show that things are not the same back east. Whereas winter used to keep the trains out of the station for days at a time, there’s no danger of something similar. No snow! Yes, there’s been ground cover, on and off, but the fields are bare. Not good.
Let’s look at the downside of a mild winter. Less water for the next season. Less soil, given the rule that says the wind will blow the topsoil away whenever it can. Next spring will come fast, and furious, with mud season running longer and deeper. Ditto for the shoreline, where ice is now a rare thing. Guess what the waves are doing to all those beautiful cottages (built too close to the high tide mark, due to ignorance of the way things work). Can you say storm surge without stuttering? Good.
Meanwhile, the roads are bare… except for a thin layer of sand, laid down to protect drivers from the scourge of black ice. The stuff doesn’t just lie there, when the wind blows, and the common man is getting a free deep cleansing of the pores of the vehicle. Not good, and rust will surely follow.
Oh, for the good old days!
