Russ Lanoie: Bah November, Ah February!

After 60 years of living and working in the North Country, I have decided, without hesitation, that November is my least favorite month. Every day in November is a little shorter, a little colder and a little more dreary than the days before and even more than December days, when the reality of winter has finally set in. November is the month when outside chores need to be done before the ground freezes or gets covered with snow. November weather is often unsettled as we move from fall to winter, adding insult to the shortness of days as the sun dips low in the south, approaching the winter solstice.

Although February is only three months later, it has become my favorite month for a host of reasons. Although it is still midwinter, every day provides a little more daylight than the day before and February comes after Jan. 20, the date meteorologists claim is the midpoint of winter. By February, many of the chores that did not get done by December will have to wait until spring because they are buried under snow, which now gives us an opportunity to enjoy ourselves in the white stuff that hides them from sight. Though there may occasionally be biting cold, there are no biting bugs to bother us when we are outside. The weather is generally a little more settled than it soon will be in March, usually providing more of the sunshine that most of us cherish. For many of us, that sunshine is extra special as it warms our solar houses, heats our hot water and is turned into electricity to power our homes and businesses.