For some reason, when the weather gets cold and the days get short, I always end up heading north for school visits. How cold was it? It was so cold the kids at Taylor Elementary, on the icy shore of Lake Ontario, were blowing bubbles outside to watch them freeze before they hit the ground. True story.

I knew it was going to be a good day when I walked in the door and saw that the school was named for a trombone player. Trombonists – as any trombone player will tell you – are among the finest people on earth. I was clearly in good hands.

One thing people up north understand is how to thrive in these frigid conditions. For example, like bears, we humans can benefit from an extra layer of insulation under our skin during winter. To help develop that layer, we all ate this for dessert. As best I can remember, it was M&M’s (my initials) on a Rice Krispies base with butterscotch and peanut butter. It was awesome, and eating it was like putting on thermal underwear.

My thanks to the gang at Taylor for working so hard to make this visit a success. Everyone was so welcoming, the kids were prepped and raring to go, and the walls were jam packed with terrific artwork. On an icy, January day, it was hard to imagine a place I’d rather be.