Extremes are OK, taken in moderation

Aberdeen became lifestyle editor Kat Bryant’s new home before she ever set foot in it — and the area’s mild weather was one of the deciding factors.

By Kat Bryant Making Tracks • March 6, 2017 10:00 pm
My dog, Rose, watches squirrels from the deck in our Bismarck backyard in January. The deck itself is a foot off the ground, giving some idea of the depth of the snow.
My dog, Rose, watches squirrels from the deck in our Bismarck backyard in January. The deck itself is a foot off the ground, giving some idea of the depth of the snow.

Kat Bryant

Making Tracks

Aberdeen became my new home before I ever set foot in it.

It’s been a long time coming, and two primary factors swayed my decision to move here: weather and community. I’ll talk more about community next week.

When I was young, my family moved often. I learned to love most of the places we lived, and I have to say I loved suburban Pittsburgh the most — but that’s also where I learned to loathe snow. Sure, it’s pretty — until you get smacked in the face with it, get soaked and refrozen walking through it, or drive in it. Blech. After six years there, I vowed never again to live in a place where it snowed a lot.

It should come as no surprise, then, that I spent most of my adult life (to date) in Arizona, despite it being a land of extremes. For about three months out of the year in Phoenix, the temperature rarely dips below 100, even at night. When I decided to make a life there after attending the University of Arizona, several of my friends told me I’d never make it through the first summer there.

They were wrong; I loved it from the start. In fact, when Phoenix hit its record-high 122 degrees in 1990, I was out and about in my little Toyota pickup with no air conditioning. I had been there for three years by then, and it seemed like just another summer day to me. And so Phoenix remained my home base for nearly three decades. I even learned to deal with the massive dust storms, or “haboobs” — which I think we all enjoyed saying more than seeing.

But my world turned upside down in December 2015, when I was laid off after almost 20 years with the same company. Faced with limited choices within my profession, I accepted a position last April in Bismarck, N.D., where winters are known to be … extreme. Several of my friends said I’d never make it through the first winter there.

This time, they were right — though I certainly did try to make a go of it. I learned to love my new home during those first several months and explored every corner of the state on my days off. And because it was so mild from spring through fall, I got into the habit of walking several miles nearly every day along the Missouri River with my dog, Rose.

Then came winter. Bismarck got 52 inches of snow in December alone (a record) — not to mention life-threatening wind-chill factors that dipped as low as minus 45. The daily walks abruptly ended. And when the season’s second blizzard dumped 2 feet of the white stuff during my shift on Christmas Day, it’s no exaggeration to say I was lucky to make it home from work safely that night.

So when Doug Barker called me in December (between blizzards) to discuss coming to work for him here at The Daily World, let’s just say I was ready to listen.

I know I’ll love my new home, too. For one thing, the average temperatures year-round vary by only about 30 degrees here. I must warn you that, given my experience, I can (and will) laugh at anyone who complains that 80 degrees is too hot or 20 degrees is too cold. But I also can say without hesitation that I’ve had enough weather extremes for one lifetime. I look forward to some climatic stability.

Though it seems I may have to make an exception for rain.

Kat Bryant is The Daily World’s new lifestyle editor. Reach her at kbryant@thedailyworld.com.