歪歪漫画

鈥淚 hate winter!鈥�

Whether it鈥檚 me making that declaration, scrolling through Facebook posts or in face-to-face conversations, that is an oft-repeated statement I sometimes make and commonly hear as much as six months of the year. Although the chronological length of the season is the three month period from Dec. 21 to March. 21, those of us who live in the northern Plains know that it can last twice as long.

That means that the winter haters spend half of the year hating the season. That鈥檚 a lot of time to be unhappy with the weather.

Ann Bailey / Agweek

Just to clarify, I am not a Pollyanna about winter. There have been 鈥� and will be 鈥� certain days during winter that I have hated.

Days when the water pipes in the basement froze and had to be thawed with a space heater so it would run again. Worse days when the pump that delivered water to the horses froze and we had to stand outside in minus 40 degrees and a 40-mile-per hour north wind and pour tea kettles full of boiling water down the pump jack to thaw it. Tear-inducing days when I worried about how our horses and chickens would survive the bitter cold (they ended up doing just fine) and wishing I could do more for them than providing them with extra feed and bedding.

Those are the days when I did a lot of mumbling and grumbling under my breath and out loud about living in the frozen tundra and questioning why on earth I live in North Dakota.

Even in the worst of winters, though, realistically, there usually are more tolerable days than nasty days and some of them are downright beautiful.

Ann Bailey / Agweek

Yes, beautiful, both in appearance and in the way they feel when I鈥檓 experiencing them.

One of those days was last week when the sun came out after a fog that had shrouded the trees in hoarfrost. The sun shone on the trees, fences and fields, illuminating them with the breathtaking look of a fairyland.

Besides enjoying the view during my daily walk with my dog, Nova, I reveled in the weather conditions, which were about as good as it gets in January in North Dakota 鈥� a relatively mild temperature of about 30 degrees, no wind to speak of and sunshine.

It was while I was on the walk that I started thinking about how rather than making a blanket statement about the winter season, I would try to remember this day when it turns cold again 鈥� and it inevitably will, whether this year or next 鈥� and take it in stride.

I also am determined to continue to go for my daily walks on the majority of winter days, no matter the weather. I walked outside for about 25 days this January, and missed just a couple during the cold spell when there was a blizzard warning. Other than those days, I dressed in layers that included insulated coveralls, winter parka, stocking cap and face covering and trudged down the road 2 miles each day.

I walk outside despite the weather for three main reasons. One is that I grew up on a farm where it was necessary to go outside and take care of animals no matter what the weather was like, so it doesn鈥檛 faze me when the conditions are nasty.

Ann Bailey / Agweek

The other reason is that I am competitive and I am not going to let the weather deter me from getting exercise.

The third, and probably most important reason is that I love being outdoors and no matter how bad the weather is, being outside makes me feel better physically and emotionally. After a 2-mile walk,my stress levels are reduced and my heart rate is increased and both improve my outlook on life.

All of that said, I鈥檒l keep on keepin鈥� on because, to tweak a few lines from an old British poem 鈥渨hether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot, I鈥檒l weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether I like it or not.鈥�

Ann Bailey lives on a farmstead near Larimore, N.D., that has been in her family since 1911. You can reach her at 218-779-8093 or abailey@agweek.com.