Back in the early 1990's, when I first moved to Duluth, I thought a lot about my Canadian forbears at this time of year. Early on, I frostbit my feet by buying winter boots that were too tight (you need enough space around your foot for warmth to collect). And then, during a frigid spell when I couldn't get my car started, I had to wait for the bus, and my glasses didn't get steamed up -- about a half inch of ice coated the lenses, so I couldn't see through them, or around the edges. I arrived at my job in tears, asking everyone, why in the Sam Hill do you live here? (forgetting for a moment, perhaps, that I was living here too!) I used to think, Duluth is nearly 400 miles to the southeast of Winnipeg. My great-grandparents were among that city's earliest European settlers...how on earth did they survive winters that were cold beyond belief? My grandmother, their youngest daughter, was the province's first woman lawyer, and would briefly work in both London and Paris at the end of WWI before settling with my American grandfather in New York City and its suburbs. My journey had gone backwards, from London and New York City out to Duluth. This unwinding wasn't intentional, but I've still often thought that some imprint had made its mark on me, suggesting paths forward, upward, or -- perhaps? -- homeward. I still don't feel completely at home here, but this weekend's frigid cold at least doesn't freak me out any more.
I'll let the scientists decide whether this "real" winter spell of wind chills between -20 and -40 degrees F is the result of climate chaos, or simply a return to the norm. Practically, what it means for me as a non-car owner is a few short forays to take out the trash, or errands within two blocks or so. It may mean keeping my glasses off when I am outside (in a glasses case), and covering my face almost completely. And, it means being very grateful to be old enough not to have to get to a job, or work outside -- I'm super appreciative of those who do. But a lot comes to a stop in this weather. Hibernation is the best idea of all. You start resonating with bears...
