Wow…that was some Halloween costume. Fall dressed up as winter and it scared the heck out of me.
But the weather also reminded me of a few things.
We tend to forget how to drive in winter. Often it means slowing down, so you don’t end up in a ditch like the car I saw on Flagg Road near Caron Road Thursday afternoon. Slow down, nothing is that important to risk your life and the lives of others. If it is important not to be late, then start earlier.
Everyone needs to carry a snow brush. Brush off the car. Brush off the hood, the trunk, the windshield, the roof. There’s nothing like driving behind someone when huge chunks of snow blow off their vehicle and fall on your car.
Put on your lights. Driving a white car in a snowstorm without headlights on is not very wise and don’t assume your car lights go on when it gets dark…they may not. Turn on your lights when it is raining, when it is snowy, when it is foggy, or when it is beginning to get dark. Visibility of your vehicle could prevent an accident.
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It’s time for snowbirds to start heading south.

It’s over 90 degrees in Florida, over 100 degrees in Arizona, but a balmy 37 degrees right here.  
When you get to your warm spot, please don’t call us and tell us how hot you are. That only makes us remember how much we dislike braggarts.
One type of snowbird I would love to see leave is the goose.
Remember when it was rare to see a goose? Seems not too long ago I loved standing outside listening to the honkers as they passed overhead on their way south. Those were the days, eh?
Geese are wonderful creatures, but they are dirty, aggressive, loud and they are everywhere. Not just one or two, but hundreds.
I would think between the feral cats, the coyotes and the egg sucking raccoons that the geese population would shrink…but it keeps expanding.
Maybe they have a sign somewhere that says “Welcome to Rochelle…Goose Haven.”
I used to enjoy the honking when they flew above me, now I just cover my head and hide indoors.  
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The downtown Rochelle Christmas Walk is set for Dec. 6. If all goes according to nature, it will be 85 and sunny, with a chance of rain.
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That retention pond by the new Lincoln School is pretty deep. Hope we don’t end up with a Loch Ness monster in it!

Terry Dickow is a retired elementary school teacher with lots of opinions, some you will like, some you won’t. He can be contacted at terrydickow@gmail.com.