Thermometers may lie, but the sun doesn't: It's winter

OK, it's winter.
An acute observer would know that because the days have been getting noticeably shorter and shorter. The same observer wouldn't know it by watching the thermometer.
There are still flowers blooming in some Mahoning Valley beds. A miniature rose blooms outside while on the other side of the pane a poinsettia stands as a more accurate barometer of the season.
In years past, the Mahoning Valley has seen a foot of snow by now or temperatures below zero. This year, we're just beginning to see temperatures below freezing and the most that any motorist has had to scrape off a windshield is heavy frost.
Ready or not, however, winter is coming -- officially at 2:21 p.m. EST for anyone demanding to know the precise time.
One certainty: And while the temperatures in the coming days may be colder, one thing is certain: the days will be longer. This is the winter solstice, the day when the sun is at its lowest in the Northern Hemisphere. Tonight is the longest night of the year.
Just three months from now, we'll be looking at spring, the halfway point on our journey to the longest day of the year and the beginning of summer.
One of the marvelous things about Ohio and Pennsylvania are their distinct and changing seasons. Even in years like this, when late fall was not as crisp or cold as we expect it to be, we still know there will be the starkness of winter, the fresh blossoms of spring, the warmth of summer and the colors of autumn.
Today is one of the mileposts reminding us of our climactic good fortune. Enjoy it.