There's a Point to Cold Weather

...at least I like to think there is. I grew up in Wisconsin, the land of Cheeseheads, where people know what cold is.  Not like many of my fellow namby-pamby New Yorkers who get exorcised about a couple inches of snow in Manhattan, especially when the weather gets down to low double digits. 

I admit I've become a sissy right along with the New Yorkers I'm ridiculing.  That inconvenient truth came home to me recently when I noted on an online weather report that it was 3 degrees above zero in my hometown, Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  So I called my sister there to make sure she was still alive, surviving the terrible cold.  She seemed surprised by my call.  "Cold here?" she asked.  "Well, I guess so.  With the wind chill factored in, it's about 20 below zero today.  But," she reminded me, "you must remember that when it gets to about 10 degrees above zero, it's hard to distinguish the cold, whether 10 degrees above, 1 degree below, or even 20 below.  It's just plain cold.  And since we dress for it, with lots of layers, it's no big deal."

She went on to remind me that before Christmas she and others had stood outdoors for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony that lasted about an hour.  Listening to the little kids singing Christmas carols apparently took everyone's mind off the fact that it was below zero outside and they were standing in it. 

Yes, it's been a while since I wintered in Wisconsin. 

So I was delighted to find on the web today, a piece entitled "It's Cold in the Northwoods..." 

You've got to check it out. I especially love the comment below the title that says "... but I've found good use for the snow.  Perfect place for the Point beer."  Guess where Point beer is brewed?  Yup, in my home town, Stevens Point.  Maybe I shouldn't have left.  These people are geniuses!  Don't you agree after looking at the picture?  Talk about inventiveness, creativity, innovation.  They've got it.

Well, at least when it comes to beer.