We here in Minnesota take great pride in the fact that we live where weather deserves to be the dominant conversation. Just last week, about five miles from my cabin, the air temperature measured 54° below zero. Garrison Keillor calls us "God's frozen people" for good reason. But watching the news recently tells me that people in other parts of the country are getting to know the secret benefits of truly nasty weather. We call it a hunkering down weekend. When the snow flies and the temperature drops … no one expects you to be out and about … that would be imprudent. And there is no better place to hunker than a woodshop. Let the wind blow and drifts pile up: start making sawdust and you won't give it a second thought.

So here's to no-good, nasty-cold, blizzard-like weather. And here's to hunkering down.