The holidays are about over for now and it has been cold. How cold? It was so cold that Pamela Anderson was downgraded from "hot" to "tepid". Football fans were actually ordering hot chocolate at the games. Scotsman started wearing pants. I used the snowblower on the floors instead of the vacuum this week.
Really, it wasn't all that cold. About -22F (-30C) was it, but the winds would howl for a couple of days at a time which really did hurt any exposed skin. As little was exposed as possible, but we still had to feed the horses, make sure they had water, and put them in the barn at night which entails cleaning it up the next day and getting it ready again. That meant being outside for an hour or two each day.
The birds at the feeders were pretty well fluffed up to stay warm. Here is a chickadee with a fluffed up look in order to better insulate against the elements.
The lake is still open as long as the surface stays above freezing. The cold, dry air forces evaporation into a roiling cloud of steam that looks like this.
When the temperature is about 10F the steam rises much more slowly and nearby ships are still easily visible.
Shipping season won't end for a couple of weeks yet, but the ships going
by on the really cold days take on a ghostly appearance when cruising through the steam.
Hopefully, at some point this month it will get above freezing for a couple of days before taking the plunge back down. The days are getting longer now and tomorrow night is a full moon, known as the wolf moon to the indigenous people here. The meaning can go either way to determine if it is a good thing or not. I'll let you all do that research if you wish to.
I haven't seen or heard much of the local wolves for a bit, but lately I have had little desire to stand outside listening for any length of time or going for a hike to look for tracks. Maybe when it warms up a little.
Then there is the calendar issue. I was finally getting pretty good at knowing and writing 2017 correctly and consistently when all of a sudden they go and change it again. It takes me a little longer each year to get used to it and practice until I get it right and then it changes once again. I wish they could just pick a year and stay with it, but no, they can't put all those calendar makers out of work. That must be the reason, right? What else could it be? Maybe someone smarter than me could figure out a compromise.
Happy New Year everyone!
HNY jono! it was 7F at 7a this morning here. I have not been outside since friday. currently 16F.
ReplyDeleteTo warm here. It will be 74 again. Good for the snowbirds but bad for us desert dwellers.
ReplyDeleteTry and stay warm.
It is the Year of The Dog so it will be a gud year for very gud dugs !
cheers, parsnip and mandibles.
A very happy New Year to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteAs we swelter in the sweaty season I am loving your cool/cold images.
Some world-wide weather moderation would be nice.
Jono--After hearing how cold it is in your part of the woods, I'm going to stop complaining about the temps in St. Louis.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, as usual.
That's pretty darn cold. It's 35 degrees here, which for Floridians means we might as well curl up and die.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
And I thought we had it bad when the thermometer dipped to 4 degrees F. However, unlike Sioux, I for one will NOT stop complaining! Anyway, love your lake photos.
ReplyDeleteThose banks of steam are amazing to see. I'm impatiently awaiting the longer days (the obviously longer ones). The darkness just comes too soon for me. Happy New Year, Jono and family - may it be a good one!
ReplyDeleteYou are stuck in the same Arctic air mass that has descended on us here in S Ontario.... -10C outside right now during the afternoon, last night it went down to about -24C, not counting the howling wind chill factor, so that meant we didn't take the littles out to the park for the skating and bonfires and New Year fireworks, just too damn cold. Had to watch the fireworks from the bedroom window.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY NEW YEAR to you and your family and the horses, cats, dogs, whatever else you have residing there. 2018 will be a blogworthy year, I hope.
Happy New Year! Wishing you all the best for 2018.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Jono. I hope you get through this bitter cold weather fine.
ReplyDeleteit's been bouncing from the 40's to the 20's...lows pretty much at below 20..I've always said I love cold weather..well I'm a fucking liar..
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Jono! Keep the good photos coming in 2018. Hugs to you and the other farm folk.
ReplyDeleteFloppy Nude Ear, Jono!
ReplyDeleteWell, you know what they say, Jono. It's not the cold that'll kill ya, it's the windchill. We've been in the deep freeze too for about 10 days, but it's FINALLY getting back to seasonal temperatures. It's supposed to be a balmy -2C today -- bikini weather! Happy New Year to you and yours, buddy.
ReplyDeleteWe had -22° F as well.
ReplyDeleteBreathtaking.
Thanks for those pictures of the lake! Happy 2018; yep, gotta go with the world.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Years
ReplyDeletethe Ol'Buzzard
Here in Maine we have been circling around zero:days above single numbers and nights below
ReplyDeleteBut that is part of living in Maine.
the Ol'Buzzard
The bank of mist over the lake is spectacular! We've been watching temperatures plummet across the country and have been consoling ourselves with the thought that even though we now have TWO FEET of snow, at least it's not cold - it's been just above freezing every day. And hey, we had a white Christmas.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Jono!
anne marie, If it gets up to 16 here I'll take a layer off.
ReplyDeleteangryparsnip, I envy your 74. I know you'll treat your gud dogs the way the goddess they think you are would.
Elephant's Child, Watching the differences in our seasons always leaves me in anticipation.
Sioux, I know it's colder than what you are used to down there. Imagine what it is like 800 miles to the north.
Janie, Those temperatures make us get out our heavier sweaters.
Tom, there are only a few weeks of the year that you can't complain about . This is not one of them.
jenny_o, The steam will rise until the lake turns solid. Then it will get REALLY cold.
Shammickite, Isn't it wonderful to be able to share the same arctic air? This thing must be 2000 miles wide! Did you break off a piece of bonfire and bring it indoors to thaw?
eViL pOp TaRt, We have survived far worse and will likely do so again. Keeping that in mind it is good to know, also, that there is always the chance we won't survive one of these.
JACKIESUE, I love the cold when it is summer and love the heat when it is winter. Go figure.
AK Coldweather, Thanks! Remembering also that you have experienced MUCH colder temperatures. The South pole, however, was warmer than us the other day.
Bill, I like the way your mind works! Great stories lately!
Debra, I always cross the border in spring just to see how little clothing our northern neighbors are wearing. We sometimes take bets when we'll first see shorts.
Professor, I think we have enough snow to go skiing. I'll take advantage of that when it warms up a bit.
vanilla, Does New Year's Day come faster every year? It sure seems to. Maybe there are less than 365 days a year now. I haven't counted them for a while so I had better check.
Ol'Buzzard, This kind of weather keeps most of the riff-raff away, but it also keeps the other kind of riff-raff from leaving.
Diane, I am pretty sure all the Great Lakes look like this about now.You know what's really fun in two feet of snow? Touch football. It is a great equalizer and takes just a small push to make the biggest person fall over. It is hilarious!
I know how chilled you are, I remember it well, waiting for that elusive 'January Thaw.' Joke is on me - I moved south to get away from all that cold.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you!
ReplyDeleteIt's freezing cold here. Florida decided to participate in winter this year!
Happy New Year! Hope you don't freeze.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was cold at my daughter's house at 5 degrees.
ReplyDeleteYou're not inspired to get out on the porch but if I lived where is was -22F, I think I would have a hard time just getting out of bed!
Sharon, We might thaw for a few hours on Wednesday. The difference between today, Monday, and Saturday is 40 degrees (-15 to +25)!
ReplyDeletePixel Peeper, Thanks!
thethoughtsoflifeandme.com, Thanks! I will try to stay warm.
Toni, Thanks for stopping by! I wouldn't get out of bed if I didn't have hungry bellies down at the barn.