By Sherman Frederick/Battle Born Media

When it comes to things out of the control of humankind – like the weather – California and Nevada could not be different. For example, we share the Sierra Nevada mountain range that for a thousand years is predictably and periodically subject to drought.

The first two months of 2022 may be the driest in California history. State weather gurus there note that there is no significant rainfall on the horizon through March.

In California, thinkers worry about massive climate change and fret that we’re all gonna die or at least see the day when there won’t be enough snow to ski Tahoe.

Nevadans, not so much.

Of course, Nevadans watch the snowpack and know that sometimes it’s good and sometimes it is not as good. This year the Sierra Nevada snowpack is currently at 72% of normal and it’s melting a bit early.

This is not our first rodeo. We’ve seen this before.  We know that we’ll get through this weather pattern, too. So we wait, looking for March to bring more precipitation than anticipated and that whatever precipitation comes our way sticks around to build up the snowpack.

Meanwhile, Californians curse the sky, count solar flares and enact laws and ban new gas stations, none of which will do one damn thing to bring more rain to the Sierras.

I don’t begrudge Californians for their brand of a rain dance, I only point out that for as much as Californians predict an end to snow in the Sierras, not one Californian puts their Tahoe ski chalet up for sale at “must go” prices.

MORE MASK DROPPING

One of the most restrictive governors in the West finally dropped her mask mandate. New Mexico’s Michelle Lujan Grisham followed Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s lead. And rightly so. Grisham’s and Sisolak’s leadership during the pandemic made little sense, was overly restrictive and mostly ineffective. The further away from the pandemic we get, the more we know that neither governor was up to the task. Their instincts were all wrong. Hope voters give both of them hell at the ballot box.

WAY TO GO, AUSTIN

Los Angeles Rams guard Austin Corbett, a Nevada favorite son and member of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, won the Super Bowl. Gov. Steve Sisolak gave him a big attaboy, tweeting out the picture below and saying “You make Nevada so proud!”

Austin Corbett and family after the Super Bowl.

ONE MORE THING

– If you recognized everyone in this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, it’s time for you to schedule your first colonoscopy.

– Rich Basque sheep ranchers prefer to drive Lamborghinis.

– I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know which comes first.

– CDC Director Rochelle Walensky declared COVID is no longer a constant emergency to Americans. The same day, three San Francisco School Board members were recalled for leftist curricula and mask mandates. It’s the first sign the virus has mutated into the Midterm Election Variant. – Hat Tip: Argus Hamilton.

Thanks for reading, everybody. Until next week, dear readers, avoid soreheads, laugh a little and always question authority.

Sherman Frederick is a Nevada Hall of Fame journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.