So, I'm not above complaining about the weather. I know, I know. It doesn't solve anything. I also hear good old Pa's voice (from the Little House books) saying, "We must do the best we can, Laura, and not grumble. What must be done is best done cheerfully." He's right, I get that. I mean, I know I shouldn't complain. But I can't help it. I live in a state where people literally walk around wrapped in blankets INDOORS at public events because it is that damn cold out. And let's be totally honest. If you're not complaining, you're either a much better person that I could ever be OR you never have to be outside in it. I would definitely not complain if all I had to do is run from my heated house to my car warmed by remote start to the next heated building. But I have animals. So out I go.
Lately the temps have been hovering in the negatives with windchills dipping down to -25 or -35 below. So it's all about the layers when you get ready to go out. First I have a layer of leggings or jeans, then a pair of flannel pajama pants and over that go my lined wind pants to cut the wind and keep the hay off. I wear a thermal shirt, followed by a sweatshirt and over that my good old Carhart coat. (Those babies are indestructible.) I wrap my knitted scarf around me 3 times to cover my chest, neck and face. Then I put on my knitted cap and pull up my hood. I pull my insulated boots on and for gloves... well, I wish I had an answer for those. I can't stand not being able to feel what I'm doing so my gloves can't be too big or bulky. But I don't have the solution because my fingers always get so frozen that they HURT while doing chores. I've tried the latex gloves trick under them, but so far that hasn't helped much.
It takes about 5 minutes to get dressed and then it's out to do chores. In the winter it is shovel the drifts, break the ice on the water pans, pull out the expandable hoses to fill tanks, carefully carry buckets so you don't spill on yourself, and a hundred other small odd ways that winter chores are the worst. Finally, if all goes well, you stumble back into the house with frozen fingers, frozen eyelashes and toes that you can barely feel.
I said this morning that I literally feel like I've been cold for months. I don't remember what it feels like to be warm from the inside out. I mean, I do get a little hot when people post things on Facebook like "it's not that bad", (from the people who don't work outside). Or my favorite, "you choose to live here!" Umm.. no, I don't. I live here because my family lives here and an even larger group, my husband's family live here. Family is everything to us and unless we can talk his parents and 7 brothers and sisters with their 22 children combined to pack up and relocate south, well then - we don't get to choose to live where we live. We live where they live. Minnesota.
So yep. I'm gonna keep complaining. It is the wind that is the worst, the sun is completely useless and yes hot water freezes instantly at zero degrees. Yes I know what a sun dog is and no I don't know the science behind it. Maybe it is aliens deciding to bolt after they see how cold it is here. I know more about stock tank heaters, heat tape, glow plugs and thermal underwear than I ever wanted to know. Wind chill factor almost becomes meaningless after -10 and I become a psycho in the spring because 30 starts to feel like "a nice warm day".
Have a great (hopefully warmer than the -17 my car said) rest of the day everyone!
Comments