Winter weather made for some beautiful scenery such as this view of the High Street bridge

By Mary TuckerJanuary 9: 7:45am: 50º, first rain, next sun, afternoon cloudy and rain.

February 12: 7:00am: 4º below zero, snow showers with heavier snow later.

February 13: 7:00am: raining then snow, rain, freezing rain through the day.

February 19: 7:15am: 50º with a high of 55º expected. Rain showers, occasional glimpse of sun, but a chance of snow in the evening.

Our 2008 weather has me thinking about how the weather affects our lives.

What’s the plan for the day–work, school, meetings, shopping, doctors’ appointments, or just having a coffee break in one of Andes places to “meet and eat”? The first thing I do after getting up is check the temperature and see what kind of day it is. If we have snow or freezing rain, I turn to the weather forecast for the rest of the day on WDLA. A snow day for Andes Central School helps make the decision to stay in, at least until the highway department sands and plows. Then I decide if I should cancel my plans and read a book instead. Those who have to travel to jobs do not have the luxury of staying home unless Delaware County roads are officially closed. Even then, hospital staff is encouraged to get in as soon as possible and firemen and emergency squads still need to respond to calls.

We also have to be on the lookout for floods, power outages and sometimes tornados. Used to be this type of weather occurred from spring through fall. It seems to happen any time of the year now. In summer we contend with droughts, record high temperatures, and August frosts. Despite all the wild, wacky weather through the year, we do get to enjoy the leaves and lawns as they turn green in the spring, long, lazy summer evenings, and mild Indian Summers in the fall. We think we control our lives but it seems to me that Mother Nature is in the driver’s seat and we can’t do much about the weather except complain and do the best we can. ~