'Tis the Season to be Freezin'

Just in case you haven't marked it down on your calendar yet, or are still drunk enough from your New Year's Eve revelry to think this is a good idea, the Ninth Annual Pottstown Polar Bear Swim will be held tomorrow morning in Riverfront Park.

Registration is from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and is free. (As the borough web site notes, you'll pay in other ways ...)

A waiver must be signed and polar bears aged 16 and 17 may take the plunge only with signed authorization from a parent or guardian.

The few, the brave and the foolhardy will plunge promptly at 10:30 a.m. into the frigid waters of the Schuylkill River.

You can warm up after your plunge.

Not to worry, when you emerge, a blazing bonfire will be burning to help ring in the New Year and return your body temperature to something resembling normal.

Those who have (wisely) chosen discretion over valor are also free to enjoy the fire.

As if jumping into freezing cold water on a winter's day was not enough to entice you, there will also be a few words of encouragement from our mayor, as only our mayor can encourage.

The national anthem will be played, other canned music may be heard at some point from the loudspeakers, and combatants of great strength and reknown will compete in the Christmas Tree toss -- reward for which is sappy fingers and a few pine needles where they don't belong.

Pork hot dogs and sauerkraut will be on hand for those who enjoy that tradition as the first meal of the year.

Come on down and join the fun.

We can all start 2017 with a smile.

(In all likelihood, we're going to need all the smile we can get next year.)