The Weather Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Weather Report

                                            By Judy

 

“Mom, do I have to wear my coat today?” one of my children asked on a bright sunny morning. “I was really hot yesterday. Teacher said the temperature was 78 degrees.”

“Yes, you have to wear your coat, and do you have on long underwear? This is January, you know,” I answered.

Another child asked on the Fourth of July, “Mom, have you seen my gloves? My hands are freezing.”

“No,” I answered. “I haven’t. If I knew where your gloves were, I wouldn’t let you wear them. Lighting firecrackers with gloves on is a good way to burn your hands.”

Kansas has four seasons. Some years, though, the state itself is confused about which season it is, so it should be easily understood why I am also confused. It is not real uncommon for the temperature to go directly from zero degrees on a Monday in March to 80 degrees the next day. A hot day early in spring might mean Kansas will experience the kind of weather someone moving here from either coast doesn’t appreciate. My children’s comments are similar to the comments of those not native to Kansas.

“Mom, are we going to have a tornado?”

“Look at that cloud. It looks green.”

“Why is it so dark outside when it is not night?”

“Mom, is this hail?”

“Let me know when it stops lightning. I’ll be under my bed.”

“I’m scared. I don’t like this wind.”

Spring in Kansas always brings a threat of severe weather, but it also includes days of warm sunshine, gentle southern breezes, and a feeling of  “beginning again.”

Spring days morph into hot, sunny, windy days—days made for swimming or air conditioning—restful, take-it-easy, enjoy life kind of days, and it is summer. Fall days are brisk, cooler, and brighten our surroundings with red, orange and yellow leaves. There are leaves in our yards and in our neighbors’ yards. (It is a rare day with no wind in Kansas.) Fall is a time to gather the harvest and prepare for winter.

Winter blows in with a frigid, north wind, and cold, ice, and snow fill our days. It is time for boots, scarfs, and winter coats. It is time for cozy evenings with a fire in the fireplace and a good book.

Most of the time I like our four seasons…just don’t ask me about the weather on the coldest day of winter or the hottest day of summer.