It’s been an interesting study in contrast. We were in Naples, FL. in late December and returned yesterday, Feb. 14. For this old farmer, that’s a long time away from home.

Let’s see. What did we come home to ? Wait, first what did we leave ?Surely Florida has the climate that keeps on giving, the most consistently beautiful weather of any place I’ve ever been. And, yes, I’ve been around. At our departure the cloudless sky offered brilliant sunshine, 82 degrees and a breeze wafted generously.

Who, of sound mind, would ever leave in the first place ? Is Jersey weather equally compelling ? Well, let’s see.

Turns out it had only snowed two feet, but it had been on the ground long enough to take on that lovely soiled and dirtied look that negates the magic of freshly fallen snow.

Then, of course, the next night’s forecast is for freezing rain. That does no one any favor unless, for insurance purposes, you were seeking to crash your car tonight. Freezing rain almost guarantees that result.

Then there’s the upcoming insidious mix of temperature changes that melt a weenie bit of snow, only to freeze it again tonight. The purpose of this is simple. If you haven’t, as yet, slipped, fallen and broken a bone, tonight’s ice will double your chance. Just keep at it.

Fast forward to the next morning. Preparing to head down to the barn to feed horses, Jude straps on certain footwear known as Yak Tracks. If they don’t sound terribly sexy, that’s because they’re not! They do, however, offer close to the same sure footed ness as possessed by a Yak. (If my reader is uncertain as to the qualities of a Yak, that is understood.) Just be assured that they seldom slip and fall on the ice.

Lo and Behold, Jude drives the Chevy Silverado up from the barn, turns toward the house and gets the truck stuck at the turn. This will ,of course, require firing up one of the tractors, setting up a pull to extract the truck.

All of this evokes an already noted question. What, again, was the reason we came home ?