Global Warming

Global Warming has been "pooh-poohed" for as long as I can remember. But hear this: It is January 29. And it is 74 degrees right now, at 2:15 p.m. Midwinter! You can't tell me that Global Warming is a myth!

I remember when I was a kid, when the parish fair rolled around every year in October, we had to wear jackets because we were feeling that first "nip" in the air. And January and February invariably brought plenty of cold wind and rain, but also some ice and the occasional snow flurry. And every few years, we would even have enough snow for an inch or so to accumulate.

Those days--for better or worse--appear to be gone.

The 2005 hurricane season set lots of records. The most named storms in a year and the most actual hurricanes. The highest death toll from Katrina, one of the two major storms to hit our state. (The other being Rita, which of course has been forgotten because it did not flood a major metropolis and result in serious loss of life.)

I predict that the 2006 hurricane season will make 2005 look like a walk in the park. "Why?", you ask. It's because Global Warming has so disturbed the natural cycle of cooling and heating, that the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico have never cooled sufficiently this winter to prevent monster storms from forming. Mark my words--it's gonna be a doozie!

Another kind of fallout is that it's going to be the worst season ever for mosquitoes and the dreaded West Nile Virus. We depend upon cold weather to keep the mosquito population in check. It just hasn't happened this year (or for the last several, in fact).

And on a personal note, I feel like I've been gypped. I LOVE cold weather. I don't get to enjoy any bracing cold air anymore, ever. Oh, it's "comfortable" enough right now. Maybe I shouldn't complain. But I really like feeling the icy air flowing deep into my lungs. Frosty mornings really gave me great joy. I've seen 2 so far this winter. ***Sighs***

Later, people...