For about 17 years I resided in Middlebury but now live in Whiting, N.J., which is in the central part of the state, in Ocean County, near the Atlantic coast.
Our recent ferocious storms compel me to say that while I hate to admit it, Al Gore was right: We definitely are undergoing global warming and our storms are without doubt fierce in intensity and very damaging to our environment. Icebergs are melting, forcing adverse tidal conditions, which concern us all.
Last night in the height of a nor’easter storm which was wedged in the Atlantic Ocean between our coast and a hurricane, I was awakened by the sound of a commotion in my kitchen, and upon investigating found a polar bear and her cub ransacking my refrigerator-freezer in search of ice cubes. I found a gallon zip-lock bag and filled it with ice cubes and handed it to her, for which she expressed gratitude. I gave the cub a frozen Milky Way candy bar, which he took from me, muttering something about a “preference for M&Ms,” at which time his mother gave him a clout on the back of the head. In consideration of my generosity, she agreed not to return to my home. They then ambled off into the darkness and the storm.
I pass this information on to you because this situation is more apt to occur in the northern climate of Vermont than it is here in New Jersey. It might be well for residents to keep a stock of zip-lock bags and some M&Ms on hand, just in case.
As an aside, let me say I miss being among my friends in Middlebury, but maintain contact by continuing my subscription to your newspaper.
I submit this letter most sincerely and “with tongue in cheek.”
Tom Lewis
Whiting, N.J.