"He sprinkles the snow like fluttering birds; it comes to settle like swarms of locusts.
Its shining whiteness blinds the eyes, the mind is baffled by its steady fall.
He scatters frost like so much salt; it shines like blossoms on the thornbush.
Cold northern blasts he sends that turn the ponds to lumps of ice. He freezes over every body of water, and clothes each pool with a coat of mail." Sirach 43:18-21
Yeah, just like the book says. And He brings the temp back up 25 degrees to a tolerable 19. (And the salt, it doesn't say anything about sweeping up those chunks of salt. The stray chunks end up in my shoe; as welcome as ground glass.) I am grateful for a nicer day in which to run around and do last minute birthday shopping for Miss Martha.

Every year it gets cold. And every year we act surprised. Maybe I do not remember my childhood properly, but I think people act more surprised now then they did forty some years ago. Back in the days of poor insulation, no miracle fleece and raw, chapped legs walking to school. I don't recall the TV blaring panicked words about catastrophic low temps. Although maybe I wasn't paying attention to anything that didn't concern me directly. (ie., the Beatles, the Three Stooges, the Wonderful World of Disney)