Yo-yo weather here in Lincolnland

Here in the upper Midwest long time residents will tell you that if you don't like the current weather just wait a few minutes and it will change.  Today the high temperature will be just above freezing, and it's almost balmy in comparison to the severe cold and wind chills of the previous week.  Now another Arctic front will arrive in a couple of days to repeat this pattern.  This is producing temperature swings of around 30 C.  These cold snaps are not actually unusual or more severe than expected for this  region, however they have been less and less common in the past two decades so now these Arctic fronts seem colder and more severe.  The amount of snowfall has not been all that great, but the extended cold has kept what snow we have gotten on the ground. This resulted in a near assault on our person by anxious squirrels and birds while restocking all of the feeding stations. In addition to feeding the wildlife, it provides wishful cat entertainment.  People this year have taken an inordinate interest in the gold fish that occupy our lily/lotus pond. Naturally, the pond is frozen over, but a compressor is continuing to pump air into the pond so it should not become anaerobic. At a recent gathering of garden devotees, everyone wanted to talk about potential damage to plants.  Well, it's a wait and see game, just like with the fish. Right now the temperature is falling, fast, so the Arctic front is arriving and with it a lot of wind. How nice.