Winter is close

The other day I posted a status update on Facebook that said something like, "You know winter is around the corner when you see the Coasties all in their float coats." All my friends from the coast got it, but none of my midwestern friends did. I find that odd since on the southeast coast you only see float coats when it's really cold. Here's what I'm talking about:

They're very warm if you fall in the water in the winter, which is why you start to see them around here as soon as temps drop. I work in the same building as the US Coast Guard (Coasties) so I see them coming and going in the morning when they're headed out to the river. You usually just see them in their blue outfits, so it's pretty obvious if they have the orange coats on. They actually work as fairly warm winter coats too, although they're bulky and stiff.