I always figure winter is what winter is . . . you can read all the predictions, study the wooly bears and hornet nests . . . but the only way to know what the winter will be like is when it's over and you can look back and say, "That wasn't so bad" or "Holy cow . . . I've had enough snow and cold to last me a lifetime -- or at least until July when I'll complain about the heat and humidity."