Winter?

It's hard to believe it's February here in Chicago. Not only did January go by in the blink of the eye, but the weather is definitely not your typical "Windy City" bitter cold like it usual is this time of year. If fact, it's quite Spring-like outside.

I have several trees with buds on them, a rosebush with actual leaves, and a few areas where ground cover is popping up. I half expect to see tulips everytime I walk around the side of the house. And while I really don't mind the lack of freezing temperatures and snow, these mild temperatures may cause problems later on.

If we do get a hard freeze now, it's really going to mess up those plants. One year we had an early thaw and then a late freeze and because of that, none of my blooming trees got their flowers: the crab apple tree and the magnolia tree never bloomed in Spring. It was highly disappointing.

My fear is the seasons are shifting. I was bummed we didn't have a White Christmas, and I really don't want three feet of snow for a White Easter this year in April.

That's a nice thing about writing. I can actually control the weather. If I need a thunderstorm...BOOM! It's raining. If I need a light snowfall before Thanksgiving, but then I need it to melt by the end of the day...no problem. If I need a hot, humid summer day...there it is. The weather may play havoc with my characters or add to a scene, but it's intentional. All planned out. Everything happens according to my wishes.

Wouldn't it be nice if Mother Nature were so agreeable in real life?

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com