Hello from North Dakota Brrrr.

[Model 52]

I was raised and spent much of my adult life in South Dakota, before transferring to the east coat (Northern VA then North Carolina.

I've learned that "Brrr" is a relative term. I still work in DC two days a week and there have been times this winter when I'll be wearing a fleece vest because it's gotten down to about 45 degrees, while the born and raised there locals will be in coats, scarves, hats, gloves and winter boots.

A few years ago I took an evaluation team to North Dakota in January and the folks who never lived in a truly cold environment complained about the cold weather risk and hardship - and my reply was people in North Dakota go to work pretty much every day in the winter and that I suspected we'd be able to survive. It was about 9 below zero when we arrived and my co-worker spend the entire time while I drove from airfield too inspection sight staring at the -9F on the vehicle's thermometer. I enjoyed that.

[rexherring]

I know, if you're not from the area it's hard to explain our Winter weather. I was a Scout Master of a Boy Scout Troop for 7 years and have winter camped at a -16 degrees F. I have slept outside in January camps so it's how you prepare to survive that counts. Raised on a farm so we were out doing farm work in every kind of weather you can imagine including blizzards and -80 wind chills.

[Model 52]

Same here. I was ranch born and raised so I understood at a young age that the cattle still need to be fed (more actually) when it's -20F with a 30 mph wind.

The word "can't" never came into the discussion when talking about the things that needed to get done - one way or the other, and that's a mind set I almost never see on the days when I have to work in DC. There letting little things like the weather derail what ever you are doing is a cherished tradition.