January 7, 2016 (Thursday)
When Santa picked the North Pole for his workshop, he must have been seeking solitude, because no one else could live there. Why not? Because it is very, very, very cold. The sun never rises for six months of the year. Of course, it never sets for the other six months, but it is still unbelievably cold. During its “summer,” the North Pole is warmer than the South Pole because the North Pole is over water and the South Pole is over land. But the North Pole is cold enough, thank you.
An interesting phenomenon at the North Pole must be the time of day. As you stand at the geographical point where all the longitudes converge, the time of day is your choice. If you face 12:00 a.m., you can face the opposite direction and the time will be 12:00 p.m. You can slowly turn around completely and pass through 24 time zones in less than one minute. The expression, “I’ve got all the time in the world” takes on new meaning there.
The descriptive term, “Polar Vortex,” has become popular in the winter weather forecasts. That’s where our winters are hiding when we experience summer. The cold air is poised in the polar region to our north, awaiting the sun’s absence and its chance to break loose and head south. That’s when we have winter weather. Personally, I wish there were a way to steer the cold air away from wherever I happen to be.
Of course, there are people who are so rich and so inclined who move about among their many homes around the world, enjoying whatever kind of weather they choose. Must be nice.
When it seems like folks are acting strangely, and you wonder why, just remember the earth itself has bi-polar issues (drum roll, please).
