March 8, 2008
The Beginning of an Ice Age
Each year since 1993, I have planned to put the pier into the water on the first weekend in March. It became a tradition that marked the end of winter for our family and all the Oswego neighbors too.
So anyway I really am all about global warming. The older I get the more I want warm weather and in fact a complete end to winter would be just fine with me. I feel great driving my SUV around to help warm the earth and in fact I long for the day when I can just leave the pier and the boat in water year round. It is just too much work and I rather enjoy the sun, sand and water.
Unfortunately, over the years I have documented evidence of global cooling. In the early to mid 90's the weather was always warm enough so that the ice left by early February. 2000 arrived and the ice began melting later in February but on the first weekend of March I would simply break a thin layer of ice and the pier was ready for boats. By 2005, the ice was just too thick and so the pier tradition had been broken. But I enjoyed the sun.
Not to be discouraged, I simply drove the SUV, cut down trees, flew around the world, ate red meat, and of course drove boats and jet skis more.....no warm-up in 2006 or 2007...so I kept driving. I felt I needed to do my part to help Al Gore win the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to draw world attention to global warming.
That brings us to 2008. More than six inches of ice and 6 inches of snow prevented even consideration of reviving the pier tradition and here I sit today on the second weekend of March, inside with thermostat set high and the outdoor temperature is 17 degrees and the wind chill is near zero. Worst of all It's not even a sun tanning day.
Guess I need to continue to build that carbon footprint. Maybe next year.