It appears Mother Nature must have finally found her road map and made her way to the Upper Peninsula.
After a dreary run through much of winter (one lacking the copious amounts of snow so many of us have grown to love), it had to be in the back of everyone's mind that maybe--just maybe--Mother Nature, Jack Frost and Heikki Lunta have been far too busy to make an appearance in 2012. That particular trio, however, wasn't shy in dumping winter right on our laps this past week.
Snow is definitely here. I can attest to that because, like many of you, I've dug out from a couple of feet since a week ago. In fact, Saturday was the more glaring of the two storms that bulked up our snowfall numbers, even making sure to put enough on the ground to keep me from driving into the office.
So, here I sit, iPad on a makeshift desk, typing away this week's column. The truth of the matter is I typically have no complaints about the white stuff. I love snow. I love ice (especially covering lakes) even more so. Winter and the Upper Peninsula go together like peanut butter and jelly--it's just natural.
On the other hand, it sure doesn't make my job easy when I can't go to work. You see, I live in a place where Internet just isn't really a viable option. Dial-up, maybe, but at the speeds I need to work at in order to produce an issue each week, dial-up just isn't going to cut it.
I did the whole snow removal chore today already, but that didn't help me out much. By the time I cleared my driveway up by the road and then cleared it by my house, there were a couple of inches back up by the road. Not to mention that the county plows haven't been through yet and my little Ford doesn't like the idea of pushing snow all the way to the office, either.
But, again, that's not a complaint--it's just reality. This snowfall means great things for my family and me. Next week my wife and daughter will go cross-country skiing, and this time on nice powder snow instead of the iced-up trails they have been using this year. It also means the house is nice and banked up, helping us save money on our heating bill.
What's more is that this is great for the Upper Peninsula. Snowmobiles were running all day today, and folks will be able to hit the trail all weekend with no problems thanks to this winter weather. Outdoor sports enthusiasts are out and enjoying the winter activities that have been trying to elude them. And, of course, since March has come in like a lion it will no doubt be expecting to depart like a lamb, giving hope for a great beginning of April and maybe even that early spring the groundhog told us about in early February.
Winter is finally here, and that's a good thing. Hopefully everyone went out and enjoyed it this past weekend. If you didn't--well, don't worry. That nearly-annual St. Patrick's Day storm will give you a chance to make up for lost time in one of the Upper Peninsula's most renewable resources: snow.
Sam Eggleston is the managing editor for Upper Peninsula Second Wave. He was born and raised in the U.P. and is one of those people who often irritates others by complaining about the temperatures not being cold enough in March. He can be reached via email.
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