David,

Thought you might enjoy this viewpoint on the coming winter weather:

 ALREADY LATE FALL AND THE INDIANS ON A REMOTE RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA

    ASKED THEIR NEW CHIEF IF THE COMING WINTER WAS GOING TO BE COLD OR
    MILD.


    SINCE HE WAS A CHIEF IN A MODERN SOCIETY HE HAD NEVER BEEN TAUGHT THE

    OLD SECRETS. WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE SKY HE COULDN'T TELL WHAT THE WINTER

    WAS GOING TO BE LIKE.


    NEVERTHELESS, TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, HE TOLD HIS TRIBE THAT THE

    WINTER WAS INDEED GOING TO BE COLD AND THAT THE MEMBERS

    OF THE VILLAGE SHOULD COLLECT FIREWOOD TO BE PREPARED.


    BUT BEING A PRACTICAL LEADER, AFTER SEVERAL DAYS HE GOT AN IDEA. HE

    WENT TO THE PHONE BOOTH, CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND

    ASKED, "IS THE COMING WINTER GOING TO BE COLD?"


    "IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WINTER IS GOING TO BE QUITE COLD," THE

    METEOROLOGIST AT THE WEATHER SERVICE RESPONDED.


    SO THE CHIEF WENT BACK TO HIS PEOPLE AND TOLD TH EM TO COLLECT EVEN

    MOR E FIREWOOD IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED.


    A WEEK LATER HE CALLED THE NATIONAL

    WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN. "DOES IT

    STILL LOOK LIKE IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY

    COLD WINTER?"


    "YES," THE MAN AT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN REPLIED,

    "IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY COLD WINTER."


    THE CHIEF AGAIN WENT BACK TO

    HIS PEOPLE AND ORDERED THEM TO COLLECT

    EVERY SCRAP OF FIREWOOD THEY COULD FIND.


    TWO WEEKS LATER THE CHIEF CALLED THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AGAIN.

    "ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE WINTER IS GOING TO BE VERY

     COLD?"


    "ABSOLUTELY," THE MAN REPLIED. "IT'S LOOKING MORE AND MORE LIKE

    IT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE COLDEST WINTERS WE'VE EVER SEEN."


    "HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE?" THE CHIEF ASKED.


    THE WEATHERMAN REPLIED, "THE INDIANS ARE COLLECTING FIREWOOD LIKE

    CRAZY."