Watch out for Falling Iguanas [OPINION]

For once I am happy not to be in Florida during January. Temperatures in the Sunshine State have dipped to unreasonable levels in the 30s and 40s and to be honest with you, I am kind of glad.

I don't want to be snarky or appear to be enjoying their misery too much, but every time it gets to be winter around these parts some smart ass Floridean posts a meme telling me how toasty and warm it is there. So good, freeze your little buns off for a few days. That will teach you to make sport of our suffering. Just because you can spend Christmas Day poolside doesn't give you just cause to rub it in.

I've actually been to Florida when it was colder than it is now. I remember taking the kids to Walt Disney World around the turn of the century and waking to a 28-degree Florida sunrise. I was not amused. Floridian transplants were using their credit cards to scrape frost from their windshields, because who in Orlando owns an ice scraper?

Though it does get this cold in central and northern Florida from time to time, this is something rare for the Keys. So rare, in fact, that the National Weather Service has issued advisories to Keys residents on how to dress for this weather and to watch out for falling iguanas.

The tropical reptiles are cold-blooded and when the mercury dips this low they fall into a stupor. It's kind of like a suspended animation or hibernation. They are in a sort of trance and as a result, they just fall out of the trees in which they nest. If you happen to be walking beneath, you could get whacked in the head by an iguana.

I don't wish my friends and family in Florida any ill will but from time to time a little chilled air is essential to keep them humble. But this too shall pass and by the weekend most Floridians will be back to basking in the glorious sunshine and probably sporting t-shirts that read "I Survived the Cold Front of 2020."

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.