Coming shortly after Rogers Center's Winter Living Celebration will be two of our area's highly popular winter events. The NYS Crappie Derby at Whitney Point Lake, followed by the Oxford Lions Club's Perch Derby at Chenango Lake. Events such as these help motivate people to escape the mental lockup that's often referred to as “cabin fever” and to get outdoors in the fresh winter air.

Sometimes we get a mental block at this time of the year and the thought of bundling up and facing those cold temperatures is sufficient to keep us in a nearly hibernating mental state. I'm often amused that once people dress sufficiently warm and venture out, they discover they can actually enjoy being outside in what the National Weather Service calls the “Dead of Winter” period, which is January 4 to February 4.