So the National Weather Service is predicting that we may have the longest cold stretch in a generation, possibly lasting more than a week.  The forecast is cold:  Highs between 35 and 42 and lows between 17-25.  Oh, and we’re going to have wind chill on top of that.

Even more remarkable than this “prolonged” cold snap, though, is what I heard on my trusty weather radio this afternoon about the average temperatures here in Raleigh, North Carolina, the first week in January.  Namely that our normal average high is 50 and our normal average low is 30.  In January.

I can look back now on my summer entries regarding the heat and know those temperatures are definitely bearable in exchange for these kind of average normal temps come January.  Except for about a week every generation or so.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

That’s what it’s called.  Even though it is actually a visualization of death.  See, each light on this tree represents a life lost on a North Carolina road in the past year.  Those who died in an alcohol-related fatality are represented by red lights.  This tree has 1453 lights and 440 red lights.

This tree with its tragic lights is on the grounds of the capitol each December.  And each year our family stops and looks and reads the numbers and feels the sadness and thinks about the people and the families behind each lightbulb.   It’s powerful.

Raleigh is decked out in holiday finery and ready for company.

The weekend of December 12-13 was a big one in the Downtown Raleigh area featuring beautiful holiday decorations and live music by local performers.  There was the annual Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour, the holiday open house at the Governor’s Mansion, and the holiday open house at the N.C. Capitol Building.

The elaborate decorations at the Governor’s Mansion take six months of planning, and it takes 15 people four days to put them up!  One of the Christmas trees is a tree decorated with items special to North Carolina and its people.  It’s covered in dogwood flowers, pine cones, cardinals, seashells, acorns, and sanddollars.  Another special tree is decorated with more than 650 ornaments made by the sons and daughters of N.C. military service personnel.

Walking around and taking in the sights this time of year is always a satisfying family activity.  And a chill in the air just seems to add the finishing touch.

That’s Life in Raleigh.

This is a truck we saw traveling west on I-40 Labor Day Weekend.