I remember the last verse of a song about climate that I
heard as a child. It was sung to the tune of “Sweet Betsy from Pike.”
“But we
poor unfortunates live in a clime
That
calls for at least three full suits at a time-
A thick one, a thin one for days
cold and hot,
And a
medium weight for the days that are not.”
The song is true for the north east. In the summer we wear
the lightest possible clothing, in winter, the warmest. And, at least when I was young, you wore a light
jacket or raincoat for spring and fall. There were some transition days— Indian
Summer and “Pilgrim Winter”—when the weather, heading toward the new season,
took a few days off to remind us of the previous. Once into winter, you could safely store away
your summer clothes. And after taking your light clothes out, you pretty much
stuck to them. Seasonal change was predictably gradual.
But last year and this one, all bets are off. I stored away
my light jacket right after Thanksgiving. I took it out a week and a half ago
and again yesterday, when, just for one day each, the temperature soared toward
the 60s. Then the thermometer dropped again.
This morning it was 2o!
Mother Nature is very angry and she’s letting us know. I wish, if she’s mad at decision makers who
refuse to abandon fossil fuels for renewables, that she’d make some accommodation
for homeless humans as well as birds and animals living out doors. But we are all in this together for what
appears to be a long haul.
I hope it’s not too late to appease Mom.
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