October 21 - Does Warmth Equate to Happiness?

The annual migration of snowbirds, winter Texans, and other ice-o-phobes is well underway, with the most senior of our RVing elders leading the way south. I'm not sure why, but it does seem that the more mature of the lot has an innate need to head south earlier every year. At first they were fine with leaving in November, maybe even after Thanksgiving. But as the years tick off, they're soon leaving in early October. They're a co-dependent pack who look for support in their peer-group... a mutual revulsion society that shuns anything less than 80f degree temps and bright sunshine... and any mention of words like freeze, snow, sleet... well, they go into shock and may need a respirator to survive. Added to all that, there's also the side-effect of a lingering residual competitiveness that drives them to be the first at whatever they do... first to arrive, first to leave, first to bed... you get the idea. You gotta love old folks... they're so predictable.

Easy travel to warmer latitudes helps knock environmental extremes off the human experience. But at what cost? Are folks who live in the tropics happier than those in northern latitudes? Maybe because I'm from the northern latitudes I've come to appreciate the seasons... full seasons, complete with some "nasty" weather and extremes in temperature. I can't think of a pleasure more extreme than thawing out frozen toes in front of a roaring fireplace, mug of hot chocolate in hand. It's a pleasure unlike any other... and one that won't be experienced by most escapees to the south.

We're still in Wisconsin, and it's almost November. As the law of averages dictates, our recent warm fall weather is giving way this week to a blast of near winter-like conditions... low 40s for highs and 20s for lows. And I'm looking forward to it. Can you imagine how good the next sunny and mild 50f degree day will seem?.. how happy I'll be?