It's winter and it's cold - deal with it

SHERYL HAD AN appointment in Hannibal this morning so I walked to the store. It's about a mile. It was cold - right now our local weather station reports it being about 6 degrees with a wind chill of minus-4.

But it wasn't that bad, even heading into the light breeze. And Angus sure enjoyed the stroll. "I don't feel the cold," he said. "Hey. Is that a squirrel? Let me go! Let me go!"

Lucy always loved to make snow angels
in this kind of weather.

There are upset parents complaining about Quincy not closing schools. "It's too cold," they say. "Many kids wait at bus stops or walk or don't have warm coats. They are going to catch colds and get sick."

Of course, these are the same parents complaining about having to make days up in June when the schools run out of snow and cold days.

Look. As a parent, you have a right to protect your child. If you felt is was too cold for them to be outside this morning, call the school and tell them. I'm sure your child can make up whatever they miss today. Apparently if kids don't show up it can be an unexcused absence, and that's not right if you do call the school.

Our schools tend to shut down way too soon and for nothing. It's snowy and cold. Deal with it! Slow down and be a little more careful. Put on a couple of extra layers. Take a little more time. It's not the end of the world.

As a kid I used to walk to school and ride the bus in horrible and snowy conditions. I lived to tell about it. Yeah, that's right - I walked two miles uphill in blizzards without boots or shoes. Both ways. You know, the good old days.

Sorry about being cold-blooded about this. And for the kids who made it to school today - stay inside. It's too cold for recess.