So orange trees are withering in Orlando, and Atlanta was forced to close its zoo to protect the chimps from chillblains. The Deep South is currently in a deep freeze. Every winter, Maine suffers its fair share of subzero temperatures so it's strange to turn on the radio and hear that it's colder in Jacksonville, Florida, than it is in Jackman, Maine (a frontier town up near the Quebec border). Over at the day job, I have some reflections on how Mainers deal with winter's inconveniences—although I expect my sage advice will come as cold comfort to anyone who just spent the morning sliding around on black ice in Birmingham, Alabama.