Eternal Optimism, a Windswept Lake, and a False Sense of Warmth

Remember that confirmation email you received right after you booked, where I warn it's sometimes 5 to 10° cooler in the countryside than what's registering in town? It was -24° leaving town, and it felt so... Light. There were no squeaks from my car, there were going to be parkas not zippered up all the way to our noses, and we were going to stand outside all night under what was looking to be much more favourable auroral conditions than 24 hours before. 

After a little longer drive, when we parked at the edge of a lake, the car read -31°. So maybe not so much warmer after all then. And while lady aurora had her moments tonight, a light green visible to our eye, maybe a little pink if you watched carefully, we would have loved more. But isn't that always the case. It is for sure.