I grew up in Wisconsin and now live in Minnesota. I used to love winter as a kid. We used to make forts in the snow and would go sledding, snow tubing, skating and snowmobiling. The cold didn't bother me. But as an adult, I grew to dislike the cold and snow. The commutes to work were the worst. My drive used to be 30 minutes on a good day, but with a little snow falling, it often made it an hour. And driving in heavy snowstorms could easily make the commute a 2 hour drive...especially when there were accidents. Nowadays I'm working part-time at an office less than one mile from my house.
Now that I'm a serious photographer, I've learned to appreciate the change of seasons, and I enjoy the opportunities to photograph in the winter. We have a state park with some deer that are somewhat used to people, and two large populations of Trumpeter Swans that overwinter within 20 and 60 minutes from my house. On a cold morning, when the temperatures are - 15 degrees below zero (Farenheit), you'll often find me down by the river, hoping to catch the Trumpeter Swans with the steam/mist rising from the river. I'm bundled up with snow pants, boots, jacket, vest, scarf, ear warmers, head band, toe and hand warmers... A photographer friend took a photo of me with my hair and eyelashes so full of frost that they looked gray. I tried to find it once to show Agent A. I'm sure many of you would call me crazy, but it's something I enjoy.
That said, the older I get, the colder I get in a shorter time period. I have trouble keeping my fingers and toes warm. I wouldn't be out photographing if it weren't for hand and toe warms and for Canon making a durable camera body that can withstand those temperatures. And like you, Malaykoma, I don't like it when it's dark by 4:30 pm. And my mantids miss the moths and bees.
