The Deep Freeze…
We came back from our trip back to St. Louis, excited to be back in warmer temperatures. It was in the 60’s the day we came home, and sunny. I had missed my sun after being in St. Louis for a cloudy week. I sure don’t miss those grey, damp winter days there. There was, however, still snow in places when we got back, despite the warm weather.
But we dived right into a severe cold snap on Monday night. There was snow, about four or five inches of it, but mostly, there was cold. It’s been well below freezing, and mostly below zero, for the last six days. Today we have reached 20 degrees. I don’t mind cold, but it does become a bit of an inconvenience after a while. Our streets are still snow-packed, even the highways, and without warmth from the sun and temperatures, that will stay the same.
In the two and a half years we’ve lived here, we have not seen a cold snap like this. We will get a cold day or two, where it will get near or below zero. But we’re going on nearly a week of below-zero temperatures. Parts of my house have frozen, reminding me of my days in Kirksville, Missouri, when our terrible dorm windows would freeze over and stay that way all winter.
This is the window by our front door. Today the ice has melted some, but it had covered the lower third of the window most of the week.
This is ice on the door sill, next to the window in the previous picture.
Ice on the patio door frame in our bedroom. This has glued the curtains to it, as you can see.
We are not cold in our house. I have put weather stripping on our two main doors, and our furnace runs well. We’ve had a fire in the fireplace several times this week, and our beds are nice and cozy at night. Even my basement office is comfortable at 68 degrees, after I sealed up the window over my desk. And we have bright sunshine which warms up the interior of the house. I’m making savory, stick-to-your-ribs meals that keep us all feeling happy and toasty.
I have always said that winter is my time. Winter is beautiful to me, with or without snow. It is a time when I can slow down somewhat, regroup, re-gather my energies, and do some things that I don’t have time for any other time of the year. That being said, I do not stay inside all the time, either. I get out and let the sunshine get on my face, let that frosty air cool my cheeks. I put on my chapstick, bundle up in layers of warm clothes, and get out there. The mountains are gorgeous this time of year – dusted with a sparkly fairy-dust of snow, with crisp white peaks in the background. Yes, driving can be messy, and it’s too cold to ride my bike, but I still enjoy it.
As we decorate our house for the winter holidays, and plan cozy evenings at home or out and about at local events, I focus on the joy of being alive, of being blessed with a warm house, a good job, a great family, and a beautiful planet to live on. Driving through our downtown’s main street last night, all of the shops were decorated for the season, and the city has draped lights on every power pole and tree. At one end, our 25 foot tall pine tree is decorated with twinkling white lights, and the tall Ash trees on either side are hung with dripping icicles. This coming weekend is the Longmont Holiday Lights Festival, and we will spend two nights at one of our parks, watching the ice skaters, enjoying the decorated trees, drinking hot chocolate, listening to carolers, and visiting Santa. Saturday night we will snuggle in blankets and boots in the snow and watch our Longmont Parade of Lights. I honestly cannot think of a better way to spend an evening. We will come home with frosty cheeks, and happy smiles
Yes, it’s cold. But here, it’s winter, and we expect it to be cold. We embrace it, and we revel in it. Soon enough, it will be spring, then another hot summer will roll over us. I’m hanging onto the cold for now, as if I could keep it for later when it is hot and I’m sweating in the garden or on a bike ride.
Our green space behind the house. The pond is frozen, and will probably stay that way now until spring.
