Trent Ruble's Blog: The Other Way It Is - Posts Tagged "weather"

October is my favorite month of the year and I try really hard to enjoy it. I have to "try" because, from the depths of my mind, right where I've tried to bury it, frequently comes this realization that Autumn won't last long and a furious Winter will follow. I dread Winter more than I dread going back to work after vacation. When I'm on vacation (I'm trying to remember what that's like), I'm always trying really hard to enjoy it even though the thought of returning to work keeps surfacing (I must add here that I have a good job and I'm thankful for it; I'd just prefer to decide for myself what to do all day).

On a recent afternoon I was thinking along these lines when I realized that Winter will come with or without me. This was profound. I will either be here to "enjoy" it, or I'll be dead and in Heaven (not a bad alternative, really). Of course the other option is to be somewhere Winter isn't, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. So, if I want to see this story of my life all the way through, I will have to be here for at least several more Winters.

I guess if I'm going to be here, I might as well enjoy the hot cocoa, the Christmas season, and the Super Bowl while trying to bury that thought of slogging through the slush and driving snow, and that's just to get the mail.

I don't know how this year compares with 2009 statistically, but the summer of that year was the most comfortable I can remember. This year something must be wrong because, even though it's been cool, I've been hot all season! I know I'm a whiner but, in addition to being uncomfortable in summer, I hate winter, too! (see The Dread of Winter) This leaves about two pleasant months for an Indiana resident like me; May and October.

When I retire in just less than eight years, I would love to live where it's warm in the winter, such as Florida near our relatives, and a different, much cooler place in the summer. But, in order to go far enough north to be cool, we would be in the wilderness! That is, if we go north of here. Last summer my wife and I visited the British Isles (see Separated by a Common Language) where I found the Scottish weather to be just right. If the temperature reaches 70F in Scotland, it's a hot day! I think spending the four months between May and October in Scotland or northern England should solve the problem. Besides, I just love the history, architecture and landscape of that area. The people are very friendly, too.

Urguhart Castle on Loch Ness

The problem is, my wife and the rest of my family are not on board with this seemingly perfect solution. My wife's primary and, I must admit, very valid complaint with the idea is how little we would see the rest of the family. Frankly, I'm quite lucky in that my parents and all of my children and grandchildren live in or around our Fort Wayne home, although my two sons are currently away at college. But, even that is also in Indiana and only a two hour drive. So, I shouldn't complain as most people my age aren't so lucky.

Eilean Donan Castle on Loch Duich

I'm not sure how we'll work this out. But, we still have nearly eight years for my family to find a way to come visit us in Florida and Scotland.