Indian Winter?

"Nobody lives here for the weather," he said. It was January 1979, in what was one of the worst snowstorms in Chicago's history - and my first in this part of the country. We were standing on an unprotected train platform at 59th and the Midway waiting, hoping, that a train would come and that it would actually stop - unlike the last 3 that just blew by in blizzard-like fashion as if to emulate what was already happening outside. "Only two seasons, here," he continued. "Winter, and August."

That was many years ago, but I still remember it clearly - as clearly as possible given the total white-out conditions out there that bitter morning. And I was reminded of it again just this morning? Why? Because it's mid-March and we're having an Indian Winter.

Everyone knows what an Indian Summer is, right? It's a period of unusually warm weather in the autumn. After so many cool, crisp days and nights, we just love it when the warmth of summer suddenly returns - even if it's only for a few short days. Well my term for the weather we're going through now is Indian Winter. That's because after a few weeks of increasingly spring-like weather, it dropped back down to freezing on Wednesday, snowed on Thursday, and as I'm typing this on Friday morning, the windchill is a brisk -2. That's MINUS 2.

Those poor little crocuses. Can you hear them screaming as the temperature drops? I just may have to coach in front of the fireplace today. Hope I still have some wood left!