Savage Words: Winter is coming, South Dakota. Embrace it.

I’m ready to embrace winter.

According to national polling, you’re not.

A recent CBS News poll showed that only 1 out of 10 Americans call winter their favorite season.

I’m not saying it’s my favorite, but winter is in a shootout with fall every year for my top season.

I get why people don’t like winter, but for me, it’s rejuvenating. The air is crisp, and I feel a refreshment unlike any other when I go outside and take a deep breath.

At night, it’s so quiet. I love the sound – or lack thereof – when a gentle snow is falling in my neighborhood.

There’s so many things to do in-and-around Brandon in the winter. Embrace it. Go skiing or sledding at Great Bear Ski Valley between Brandon and Sioux Falls. Ever snowshoed? Go try it at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum & East Sioux Falls Historic Site. Skating and sledding at McHardy Park is always a memorable night out.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing quite like the swift burst of a 10-below wind gust that sneaks up the backside of your coat and chills you to the bone. That’s no fun.

But have you ever witnessed a South Dakota winter sky at dusk? I’ve never seen the color purple replicated on a canvas or photograph. You need to take it in. It’s usually around 4:30 or so, and if the situation is just right, it will simply drop your bottom jaw with the vibrant purples, reds, yellows and oranges.

On those particular days, watch the way the sun bounces off of the many quartzite buildings in the region. Again, it’s a purple color I’ve never seen replicated.

I love to walk my dog in the snow. She loves it, too. I don’t know if it’s normal for labs to do so, but she sticks her nose in the snow and walks for 50 feet with her head buried and her hind end raised for all to see. Makes me chuckle every time.

There’s nothing more annoying for me when I watch the local news and the weatherperson gives the five-day forecast, which in January typically includes single-digit temps with snow flurries – or even a blizzard – in the coming days. The weather person tosses it back to the anchor, only for them to belly ache.

“Man, oh, man. Guess you couldn’t give us good news, huh?”

The weatherperson grins, tries to banter with the anchor for a few uncomfortable moments.

The anchor continues: “I’m not from around here. It never gets like this in (fill in the blank with any state south of Cherry Rock Gardens).”

You know what?

It’s winter…in South Dakota…it gets like this…every year.

So embrace it. Enjoy the crisp air, the quietness, the vibrant sunsets, the outdoor activities, and the peaceful nights of a gentle snow blanketing your neighborhood.

Or, move.