Enough.

As a "hardy" New Englander, and I never really minded the winters here, but I can say I have had enough of the "polar vortex". I like the snow, even like going out and shoveling it (snow-blowing now). I find it awe-inspiring in its beauty, less so when it starts to get dirty, so new snow always freshens it up and returns it to a state of pretty.

But the cold this season has actually been an annoyance, may be it is my age or that I have just grown tired of it. This winter my joints have ached, my muscles are stiff, I have had times when I can't get warm enough, and this is all before I go out to push the snowblower around or rake the roof.

Also being an altruistic environmentalist for the most part, I do not like the use of salt, as it is not good for the local flora and fauna. I also do not like the use of sand, as it tracks into the house and now I have to vacuum more often. But with the longer stretches of cold, I have had to resort to use of salt to subdue the ice, making it possible to get in and out of the house and driveway. Which by the way was so icy and couple of times that my car slide halfway down the drive from where I had parked it earlier (no harm, no foul, but still).

I know that more comfortable days are just around the corner, but I am ready today.