hepatica Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 If I was given a guarantee of no flying tree roaches (or Palmetto Bugs as some people so quaintly call them), I might sign up for dealing with snow. But y'all do seem to have all of the Lyme ticks and what not too, right? That's sort of a downer. And mosquitos. It really seems unfair to have to deal with snow and ice and then still have mosquitos in the summer. That's a positive for us right now. No mosquitos in January this year! When I took my first real job at Winthrop University in SC, the faculty greeted me (coming from New England) with a big can of Raid for the "palmetto bugs." I didn't believe them until I saw my first one on the wall of my house - that thing was huge! Seriously, measured in inches not centimeters. I threw a shoe at it, lol. The one thing I have been thankful for in CT this week is the ticks are finally gone! With a few warm winters the last couple years, they have been around all year. I am hoping for a less virulent tick season this year thanks to the arctic blast. I also really sympathize with all the folks in old homes (there are a lot of older homes in New England). We are in a faculty house, and the home was renovated before we moved in four years ago (it had not been touched since it was built in 1972). We got all new insulation and windows since the school gets a tax break for energy efficient buildings, and it makes such a huge difference. We are very fortunate. There are warming centers open in town. On the down side, we have a new puppy - so out in the middle of the night every night in below freezing temps. I have always house trained dogs with food treats, but this little pup is happy with the reward of just being able to go back inside after she does her business. We might make it up to 20 in the next couple days as the snowstorm passes by. Yea!! Sadly back down below zero after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Negative 20 degrees here this morning. I think it got down to negative 24 overnight. We do get these temperatures in western Maine, but not usually for such a prolonged period. We already did the throw the boiling water into the air and watch it instantly change to snow and ice crystals and we watched a friend do the blow soap bubbles and watch them freeze thing so we are really, really done with winter. There is a lot of substandard housing in Maine. We have the oldest housing stock in the nation. Many friends have reported frozen pipes. Our population skews elderly and poor, I hate to think of them being cold and/or the heating bills may be too much for some of them. I know that our last fill up was almost $1,000 and it was a month earlier than scheduled because of this cold snap. I worry too. I know even the minimum for heating is going to put too many people over the edge. I'm not looking forward to our gas bill, but at least we can handle it, and our house is pretty weather proof compared to many. I really worry about the safety of those in a different situation. :( 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 And on the other hand I had to giggle when I took DS to school this morning and kids were casually walking around in just sweatshirts and no hats or gloves...10 below feels different for teens than for adults, I think! AND I got some great shots of the frozen bay just as the sun was peeking out. I was hoping for sea smoke but the water is frozen over now. So pretty. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 It won't even reach average high for the next ten days. Until next Sunday, it will be a whole lot colder than average. As to why do we live in this cold? We normally don't is the whole deal. We normally have very few days completely below freezing. This is an anomaly. Plus, dh couldn't get a job in an area with very little chance of cold. Even large parts of Florida get cold. Just the southern tip is reliably warm in winter. I recall wearing sweaters or winter coats in central Florida at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 It's so cold the cars have to be started every day, the water dripped in the back bathroom , the budget revised for increased oil bill, doors kept almost closed to each room to keep the heat in, the cats sleep most of the time but the days are getting longer! I keep saying that I'm old enough to move to Florida. Yup, I failed to do this and my car won't start. AAA is triaging their calls and since I am at home and in a warm, safe place, I'm at the bottom of the list. The car has a full tank of gas at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Every morning oldest dd and I start our day with a text to each other, just to touch base. Today she pointed out that the temperature differential between her house and mine was 71 degrees. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 So cold, the thing is that it is not normally this bad. Give me 20 or 30 degrees and that is awesome. You can go outside and have fun in the snow. No bugs to worry about. The kids play outside for hours. This is awful. I had the kids quit swim team because they hate swimming when it is cold. Heck I do too. But now they are driving me nuts. That is an everyday activity to get the energy out. I wanted to do all sorts of fun things this break, but the weather is just saying nope. I know we are spending $$$$$ on heating. We were going to go on a trip south for a bit, but why when it is cold there too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 For those with car-starting trouble... You can get something installed on your car called a engine block heater: https://www.lifewire.com/car-block-heater-frozen-north-534833 It may not be worth it if your current arctic temps are an anomaly but here in Central Canada, a block heater is pretty much standard on vehicles. That's why, if you see pictures of central Canadian parking lots, everyone's vehicle has a electrical plug end hanging out through the front grill of their vehicle. It's not that we all have electric cars - it's block heaters. :) Mind you - if the temps get down to -40C (or -40F since the two systems meet at that temp) and you have an older vehicle, you'll probably still need to start it and run it for a bit every day even with it plugged in. And it's currently only -16C with a -26C windchill here! That's TROPICAL! :D I'm going out to enjoy it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 We have all wood floors and I just got up from building thomas train tracks with the kids because the cold was seeping through my pants. My 6 year old likes to only wear underwear at home and I just made him put pants on. Good news is that it looms like it is supposed to warm up here sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Update: I had a dead battery. Luckily, it was under warranty and was replaced. I was appropriately chastised about leaving the car phone charger plugged in and not starting the car for 3 days in -30 degree temps. :leaving: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 I'm done with this cold! Our house isn't built for single digit and below zero temps! In my basement rec room and office it is 60 - 65 degrees, 70 on the main floor as long as nobody opens a door, 85 - 90 in my son's 2nd floor room and 50 - 65 in our attic bedroom. Last night I think it was about 50 in my bedroom and I kept waking up shivering. I hate the heating system in the house!! I asked dh if we can go to Florida for a few weeks, lol. To make matters worse, 3 of us have been sick, and the dryness is making it much worse than it should be. I've been getting out of breath walking the three flights of stairs from my office to my bedroom. The heavy duty humidifiers that usually make it balmy on high are barely helping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 I'm so damn cold. I can't get warm. Grrrrr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 For those who can't get their car started... DW bicycled to work this morning, and just bicycled back home (got home like 5 min ago). Never mind the weather service's "travel is strongly discouraged" statement about blizzard and zero visibility conditions, and feels like -15 and gusts up to 45mph and all that stuff. (no, not recommending this - annoyed with DW... btw, our car probably would've started just fine - I'm refusing to go out there and try, and I'm sure she didn't try) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Schools in our area are either closed or opening late today because of the bitter cold. Not snow, just too dang cold for the children to go to school. Good gracious. Again, perspective. Here children play outside for recess unless the temp is below -20F. Otherwise, it's just considered a typical day. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Update: I had a dead battery. Luckily, it was under warranty and was replaced. I was appropriately chastised about leaving the car phone charger plugged in and not starting the car for 3 days in -30 degree temps. You have MINUS 30 where you are??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 If I was given a guarantee of no flying tree roaches (or Palmetto Bugs as some people so quaintly call them), I might sign up for dealing with snow. But y'all do seem to have all of the Lyme ticks and what not too, right? That's sort of a downer. And mosquitos. It really seems unfair to have to deal with snow and ice and then still have mosquitos in the summer. That's a positive for us right now. No mosquitos in January this year! We don't have Lyme here, or mosquitos (that I've noticed, anyway), and certainly no flying tree roaches :) We do have deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 We don't have Lyme here, or mosquitos (that I've noticed, anyway), and certainly no flying tree roaches :) We do have deer. Sounds like heaven. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 You have MINUS 30 where you are??? It was -24 in VT when I woke up this morning and Saturday is supposed to be even colder with a high temp of -13 last I checked and a low close to -30. Ugh. We haven't had cold like this in over 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 If we live through the weekend we get a little break. I think ten years ago we were ten years younger. I had more patience then. Be brave Amanda. We can do it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guinevere Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Again, perspective. Here children play outside for recess unless the temp is below -20F. Otherwise, it's just considered a typical day. I agree, mostly. I think that places that get colder and snowier more frequently have better equipment to deal with it. I don't even own a winter coat, and where I live is in the lower teens this week. We are expected to get a LOT of snow over the next few days. It doesn't happen often enough for me to worry about having all the proper gear, and I just bought snow boots for my kids tonight so they can play outside in the fairly rare snow. If winter wear were a part of our wardrobe, I can see being outside without much fuss. My family can handle a splurge on boots, but this is a city with a lot of poverty. The children in our local schools do not own, and cannot afford to buy, winter clothing for a few random weeks a year that may or may not occur. The same issue applies to closing down everything. The roads really do become an issue because we don't have a lot of trucks and etc to deal with a lot of snow. It isn't worth the cost of maintaining everything. So, we have to wait out cold and snowy weather longer than places who deal with it every year. We aren't chicken, we just don't have the equipment. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 I blame this thread and MinnieWannabe for inducing an ice cream craving. I’m VERY suggestible about food so I impulse purchased a chick-fil-a milkshake. Never mind I dug a down coat out of my closet that I haven’t worn since I went to college at 2000 feet higher elevation and had to walk uphill in the snow, both ways, to get to class. I never use it because it’s too warm for MD winters. So me and my milkshake were parked on the couch under multiple blankets. It’s pathetic. I’m super super happy I own a heated mattress pad and have space heaters to even out temperature differences in the house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Sign me up. Wait. Very important question. Is there excellent Mexican food available? Well, it's Colorado, so probably? I don't know, I prefer sushi. There is no good sushi, in case you were wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I blame this thread and MinnieWannabe for inducing an ice cream craving. I’m VERY suggestible about food so I impulse purchased a chick-fil-a milkshake. Never mind I dug a down coat out of my closet that I haven’t worn since I went to college at 2000 feet higher elevation and had to walk uphill in the snow, both ways, to get to class. I never use it because it’s too warm for MD winters. So me and my milkshake were parked on the couch under multiple blankets. It’s pathetic. I’m super super happy I own a heated mattress pad and have space heaters to even out temperature differences in the house. Well, if it makes you feel any better about things, just reflect on the fact that we don't have a Chic-fil-a anywhere in the entire state. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Again, perspective. Here children play outside for recess unless the temp is below -20F. Otherwise, it's just considered a typical day. It has nothing to do with perspective and everything to do with science. The buses were dying because they were too cold. The buildings couldn't get heated properly. When you come back for the first day after vacation and nothing works because it is too cold, you cancel school. It was literally too cold for the children to go to school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I am sick right now, and I am pretty sure it is due entirely to the cold. We can't get the inside of the house more than 70F and I'm wearing sweat pants and a ski jacket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I am sick right now, and I am pretty sure it is due entirely to the cold. We can't get the inside of the house more than 70F and I'm wearing sweat pants and a ski jacket. (Saying very quietly and ducking as I say it...) :) My house is never over 70F in the winter. I keep it at 68F during the day and 66 or 67F at night. I'd actually like it lower at night but DH and DD say they'd freeze to death so we compromise. :) If my house were over 70F, I'd be running around in tank tops and shorts and complaining it was too hot. :P I really do think that I belong in this central Canadian climate. I love the cold! But I do feel for you being sick in the cold. That's harsh. :( 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Yeah, perspective. We regularly see -35 for weeks in January. So, we're ready for it. Engine block heaters, heat tapes on pipe, tank heaters in water, heated shop, Sorels, extra hay, etc. However, I find it comical that we're overly warm here this year, way up in the mountains. We're getting ABOVE FREEZING--unheard of for us! We'll be -6 tonight, but that's warm for here. Sorels are the hands-down best cold weather boots I've ever had. Do you have a pair of the old Sorel Glaciers? I don't think they make them anymore. Huge, clomping black boots rated down to -100F with thick felt insoles. I've stood on a concrete barn floor in -40F for HOURS in my Sorels and my feet were as toasty as they would be inside the house in slippers. I've had mine for 20+ years and every few years I just get some new insoles when the old ones get too compressed. Best investment in winter clothing EVER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I am sick right now, and I am pretty sure it is due entirely to the cold. We can't get the inside of the house more than 70F and I'm wearing sweat pants and a ski jacket. (Saying very quietly and ducking as I say it...) :) My house is never over 70F in the winter. I keep it at 68F during the day and 66 or 67F at night. I'd actually like it lower at night but DH and DD say they'd freeze to death so we compromise. :) If my house were over 70F, I'd be running around in tank tops and shorts and complaining it was too hot. :p I really do think that I belong in this central Canadian climate. I love the cold! But I do feel for you being sick in the cold. That's harsh. :( It's 62* near my floors, so my feet are cold. It's 73* near my head, so my upper body is hot. It's crazy!!! (This is only because the sun is up. It'll drop like a rock soon.) It rarely goes above 80* OUTSIDE in the summer here, so seeing 70 as ski gear worthy does seem strange to me! Still, I could do without my expected high of 1* before windchill this weekend! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 What I’m hating is that the heater literally can’t keel up. We have it cranked up to 75 and the house can’t get above about 65 right now. It’s going constantly. ! If you haven’t changed out the filter this month, try that. I’m boggled how much more effective the furnace is with a new filter. Helps it deal with stress. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 It was -24 in VT when I woke up this morning and Saturday is supposed to be even colder with a high temp of -13 last I checked and a low close to -30. Ugh. We haven't had cold like this in over 10 years. I know about the cold spell - I was just curious about Scoutermom's location because it isn't all that far from ours... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 If anyone is looking for winter boots where your feet will just not be cold EVER, here there are: https://www.amazon.com/Sorel-Womens-Glacier-XT-Boot/dp/B00HSZ4B46 Are they attractive? No. :) Are they heavy as all-get-out? Yes. Think of it as wearing ankle weights for an extra workout. But your feet WILL. NOT. BE. COLD. Like EVER. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Well, it's Colorado, so probably? I don't know, I prefer sushi. There is no good sushi, in case you were wondering. No. If you are from Texas, there is no good Mexican food in Colorado. Just sayin. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 (Saying very quietly and ducking as I say it...) :) My house is never over 70F in the winter. I keep it at 68F during the day and 66 or 67F at night. I'd actually like it lower at night but DH and DD say they'd freeze to death so we compromise. :) If my house were over 70F, I'd be running around in tank tops and shorts and complaining it was too hot. :p I really do think that I belong in this central Canadian climate. I love the cold! But I do feel for you being sick in the cold. That's harsh. :( I have to agree. :thumbup1: We keep ours set at 62 and my son is, at this moment, in shorts and a t-shirt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 The last two years we had very warm winters. I think that's making it feel worse for me this year. At least it's supposed to be in the 20's Sunday and Monday. It is also supposed to snow so maybe we'll go sledding if it's warm enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I am sick right now, and I am pretty sure it is due entirely to the cold. We can't get the inside of the house more than 70F and I'm wearing sweat pants and a ski jacket. Ours is at 65 (would not go above 60 on those two really cold nights because I forgot to shut the heat pump off), but I am currently under an electric blanket (on medium high), a heating pad (on high), and I'm wearing layers under my sweater. And socks. And I HATE wearing socks without shoes because of sensory issues. If I turn the heat up, it dries the air out more than the humidifier can do battle with and people (especially DH) get sicker. No-win situation with this weather. I hope you feel better soon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 If anyone is looking for winter boots where your feet will just not be cold EVER, here there are: https://www.amazon.com/Sorel-Womens-Glacier-XT-Boot/dp/B00HSZ4B46 Are they attractive? No. :) Are they heavy as all-get-out? Yes. Think of it as wearing ankle weights for an extra workout. But your feet WILL. NOT. BE. COLD. Like EVER. :iagree: They are heavy and big, but they are also nearly one-size-fits-all in our family. You just grab a pair of the "communal boots" and make your frozen journey outside. And no laces to ties up! Just step in and go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 (edited) Wait. I’m freezing my but off but thinking “at least I don’t live in Alaska where negative temperatures are normal.†and you’re telling me at a wet cold is worse?? Come ON!!!! Well, apparently it's in the 40's in Alaska. They're having one of their warmest winters ever. They just had a bit on the new about them, and they're outside without coats... :glare: Meanwhile, it's often been below 0 F here lately, without windchill. I think on Sat they're expecting a HIGH of 7. It's 'warming up' tomorrow for the Nor'Easter with the hurricane force winds, though. Yay? Edited January 3, 2018 by Matryoshka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 (edited) However, when it's cold here, we have SUN! It can be -20 and you can be out in shirt sleeves, as long as you're in the sun. Yes, sun is a wonderful life-line in the winter. But if there is a strong wind, t-shirts are out of the question (unless you happen to be digging yourself a snow cave. ;) Edited January 3, 2018 by wintermom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 It has nothing to do with perspective and everything to do with science. The buses were dying because they were too cold. The buildings couldn't get heated properly. When you come back for the first day after vacation and nothing works because it is too cold, you cancel school. It was literally too cold for the children to go to school. Of course. I meant no disrespect. Infrastructure makes a huge difference in how the cold weather is handled. Alaska is far more able to prepare for and deal with the cold. Buildings are designed to contain warmth, cars and buses are equipped with block heaters to get them running, and most everyone has cold weather gear to handle the exposure. The southern part of the lower 48 is just not equipped to deal with super low temps. In actuality, the biggest weather issues here are unseasonable warmth. Since snow typically packs down on the road during the winter season, warmer weather melts it and causes extreme icing. For us, that is far more dangerous than snowfall. I feel terrible for the people experiencing unexpected weather. It's difficult to have your life disrupted by something beyond your control. And feeling cold and not being able to get away from it is miserable. But, still it is funny for me to hear someone talk about a cold house because the temp won't go above 70 when we are all in short sleeve t-shirts with our house set at 62. (Okay, in the spirit of full disclosure, my daughter is always wearing a sweater. But, she's a wilting swamp blossom. :001_rolleyes: ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 No. If you are from Texas, there is no good Mexican food in Colorado. Just sayin. Well, I am from Texas :) Born and raised. But I don't like Mexican food particularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Well, I am from Texas :) Born and raised. But I don't like Mexican food particularly. I salivate thinking about cheese and onion enchiladas with chili con carne... When we go back to visit family I eat all I can get... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 We are in the process of switching from a coal boiler to propane as we can no longer get decent coal. The gov't has shut down all the coal mines (throwing a LOT of people out of work). Anyway, the boiler goes out almost every night, so we wake up in the middle of the night with the house down around 50. The propane guys were supposed to be here yesterday to pressure-test the new system, but once again, haven't shown up! At one point we had the house down to 39. That's absurd! We can't get the house up above 65 or so in the winter--it's old and drafty and we go weeks at -35. However, when it's cold here, we have SUN! It can be -20 and you can be out in shirt sleeves, as long as you're in the sun. Tell me though, is there anything warmer than coal? We had it growing up and it was HOT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutingmom Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 'Cuz Florida is too d@mn hot! Seriously, I would never leave my heavily air conditioned house. Insects, arachnids, snakes, creepy crawlies. The cold kills off the worst of those. Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutingmom Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 We ate ice cream today, too. With nary a venomous anything within several hundred + miles of us. Plus heat = hell. And that’s exactly what it feels like. I hate summer, and really hate year-round summer. Not to mention you can always put on more clothes... but there are only so many you can take off! Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoutingmom Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 You have MINUS 30 where you are???-40 here.... in both F and C. Not the coldest I have experienced either. Sent from my SM-G903W using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Considering the coldest I recall from my youth (NOT in PA) is -30 something with a -76 windchill and the day that happened I walked home from school to my mom's house (8 or 9 blocks) and wondered if I would make it, anything warmer is downright balmy (as I remind myself when I'm outside dealing with the weather). It was negative teens when we were with her recently. It's +20 outside here now. I used to get up before school and train my horse daily, outside - even in winter. Dad had lights set up and snow was no big deal. That was then. Next winter we're snowbirding - somewhere. Youngest just called us today to tell us his college is thinking about hiring him part time in the winter months - to start permaculture gardening there. That would put him snowbirding too (farming here in the spring/summer/fall and there over winter). SMART lad to discover a way to possibly do that at a young age. It took me years to figure out we should do it and find the budget to do so. He just has to see what his college decides. I suspect his fingers are crossed! (Eckerd is a very "Green" oriented college with a fairly decent science component to it. It's not surprising to see them want to switch from traditional gardening, as is done to a small degree on their campus now, to one that is very planet friendly, so the possibility is high I think.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 So...I shouldn't whine about the cold here in Florida? 40s and raining all this morning, gloomy for the third day in a row. Bleh. This afternoon it finally cleared up. Colder, but sunny. I can handle anything with the sun. (still 80% humidity though) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 (Saying very quietly and ducking as I say it...) :) My house is never over 70F in the winter. I keep it at 68F during the day and 66 or 67F at night. I'd actually like it lower at night but DH and DD say they'd freeze to death so we compromise. :) If my house were over 70F, I'd be running around in tank tops and shorts and complaining it was too hot. :p I really do think that I belong in this central Canadian climate. I love the cold! But I do feel for you being sick in the cold. That's harsh. :( No need to duck. I think a lot of it was that I was sick. DH put blankets over the door to the room that will be our master bath and which doesn't have much have much of a floor. That stopped a lot of cold air from coming in. I'd also not put back the attic insulation over the attic stairs and that was discovered and fixed. So, between those two things we got the house up to 74F, after a day of that, I felt better and 70F is fine again. In summer we keep the house at 78F. DH would be happy with no AC even though we live in Texas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 I was outside a bit this morning in the 20 degree temps with a wind and it actually felt good. We had a hay delivery after I finished chores, then we shoveled the inch or so of snow in our driveway, so I was busy/moving. I can't believe I wasn't miserable. I think my body has been cooped up (more or less) for so long with the holidays and travel that it was just eager to get back outside moving, and just felt invigorated by the cold. Even when I came back inside, I didn't have the usual ear pain from my trigeminal nerve. I have some now, but nothing like what would normally happen. Weird, but nice. I'm still planning on snowbirding next year - at least after the holidays if not for the whole winter. One pleasant experience is not replacing all the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 I was outside a bit this morning in the 20 degree temps with a wind and it actually felt good. We had a hay delivery after I finished chores, then we shoveled the inch or so of snow in our driveway, so I was busy/moving. I can't believe I wasn't miserable. I think my body has been cooped up (more or less) for so long with the holidays and travel that it was just eager to get back outside moving, and just felt invigorated by the cold. Even when I came back inside, I didn't have the usual ear pain from my trigeminal nerve. I have some now, but nothing like what would normally happen. Weird, but nice. I'm still planning on snowbirding next year - at least after the holidays if not for the whole winter. One pleasant experience is not replacing all the others. Do you have someone stay at your house? When we are gone in winter we do. I just feel like it is harder to be gone in winter. Worrying about things happening to the house because of the weather, having to figure out snow cleaning. I can't wait for 20s. Coming this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.