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Sometimes your memory becomes fallible, but my recent off-the-top-of-the-head recollection is that we have experienced consistently colder temperatures this January than in recent years.

January is a cold month for us more often than not, but normally there are sun shinny days coming about intermittently which make the first month of the year a little more tolerable.

The average January temperature for Georgia is in the low fifties. Blairsville’s average is 40; the average for Middle Georgia goes up about five degrees and in South and Coastal Georgia the thermometer seldom dips below 60. We can expect more of the same when February comes around.

January and February are months when we enjoy basketball. Major League baseball camps open up in February, which segues into March when the weather teases us because of the wind. A bitter windy day in March is about the most miserable weather there is, especially if it is accompanied by precipitation.

Interestingly, if my memory has not lost all its credibility, our biggest snows over the years have come about in March. Nothing like a good snow unless a power outage has you sleeping on a sofa by the fireplace. We Southerners do not do snow very well, but it is nice to build one good snowman every two or three winters. Let the kids get out of school for a day or two.

The winter months are good for enjoying a hot breakfast. February, by the way, is “national hot breakfast” month. I’m for a hot breakfast any time of the year, but especially appreciate a hot breakfast in winter.

To get your day started with a nice walk, followed by a cup of Chobani Greek Yogurt topped off with a couple of fistfuls of blue berries and a packet of tasty almonds is the ultimate in breakfast pleasure. Then a fried egg and Hormel’s black label bacon. I am aware that most serious food folk will tell you to stay away from bacon. You will find some references on the Internet, which suggest that bacon is okay. All I know is that my late father ate bacon most every day of his life and made it past 92.

There have been periods in my past when I did not eat bacon, but a couple of strips with a fried egg to start my day sure is good for my mental health if not physical.

I have a friend who lives in Pittsburgh, but grew up in nearby Rutledge. When he spends time in Athens, he never misses an opportunity to find his way, early morning, to the Mayflower restaurant on Broad Street — bacon, eggs, grits and toast.

This is a man who travels weekly throughout this country. Dallas, Denver, New York, California and points in between. He has searched doggedly without success for a restaurant like the Mayflower.

Over the years, I can remember breakfasts in the Caribbean. Arise from a restful sleep, take a walk on the beach and/or swim in the azure waters, which is downright inspirational — followed by a fulfilling breakfast, featuring an assortment of fruits, cereals, eggs, bacon and toast with guava jelly.

Guava jelly overwhelms breakfast aficionados in the Caribbean just as folks in South Georgia swear by Mayhaw jelly. I’ve delighted in both, but would not rate them higher than my mother’s fig preserves.

A buttered croissant in France with a generous spread of Bonne Maman orange marmalade in a setting overlooking the vineyards of Bordeaux is hard to beat. Then there is nothing like buttermilk pancakes, blueberry preserves and amber maple syrup at many restaurants throughout Vermont.

The best meal of the day, without question, when you travel in Great Britain is a cooked breakfast. For many Brits toast, muffins, or baps are the daily breakfast choice. If you want a breakfast treat, start your day with a “cooked” breakfast. A cooked breakfast, buffet style, makes for a memorable meal: fruits, breads, cheeses, potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs, English bacon, cereals, juice and tea — simply unforgettable.

I would fly to London or Edinburgh tomorrow for a cooked breakfast, but given a choice, I’d prefer to sit down with my mother serving me her hot biscuits and homemade sorghum syrup.