THE UPLANDS IN WINTER 133 



great severity, a warm rain may change to an icy 

 snowstorm, or the coldest weather be succeeded 

 by the greatest thaw. 



''First it blew afid then it sneiv^ 

 Then it friz and then it tJiew^ 

 Then there ca?ne a shower of rain^ 

 Then it friz and thew again.'' 



Variety is the spice of life, and these changes are 

 interesting and even enjoyable — to one in the 

 mood. 



The uplands are not always white with snow 

 in winter. The variation is a wide one. The 

 winter before this one of great snow was nearly 

 snowless, and the winter following was mild and 

 lacking in snowfall. On January 26, 1916, the 

 Fahrenheit thermometer stood at 66° at 2 

 p. M. and 58° at midnight. On January 26, 

 1913 the temperature at noon was 58", there 

 was no snow or ice to be found and there 

 was no frost in the ground. The fields and 

 marshes were brown and bare. Pheasants were 

 crowing and meadowlarks singing. 



The persistency of winter and the variability 



