Dear Mother Nature, your weather lately has made our tails droop, not cool. In fact that’s precisely the problem. The weather has not been cool enough for snow one day, and then bitterly cold the next. Lately it has rained more than snowed, then when it’s not raining the temperatures drop making our backyard an ice rink. On the rare occasion it does snow, it is barely enough to make a proper snow angel. Then you quickly follow it up with more rain, making the slush in our yard the consistency of wet cement. Where are our big nor’easters and blizzards that we look forward to in southern Maine?

Is it because I got a bit upset when you surprised us with subfreezing temperatures and snow in November? If so, I’m sorry. In fact I even apologize to you for grumbling that winter may have overstayed it’s welcome last year. Whatever your reason is for this unusual weather, could you please reconsider?

After all Asa and I have been waiting patiently for snow! It’s the only time of year that I’m allowed to dig in the backyard through all those wonderful feet of snow! And Asa can woogle to his heart’s content in the snow without threat of a bath from Mom. And don’t get me started on how much fun it is to go hiking in a winter wonderland! As it stands now, we can’t even play a proper game of fetch with all this ice.

I can see that you’re personally struggling with your recent weather decisions. Yesterday’s storm started off as an impressive snowstorm, but then you changed your mind turning it to sleet, then rain and finally an annoying drizzle. Nobody wants drizzle Mother Nature, nobody. Within the past hour, today’s storm started as a disappointing rainy washout, turned to snow, and it is now sleeting. Enough of this teeter tottering! Please send us wonderful, tail wagging snow days!

Sincerely, Chuck Billy