It's Saturday and the temperature has finally gone up into the 40's. The snow has started to melt, but it has been so cold at night everything just refreezes. The lagoon has started to melt, but the pool is still frozen solid.It's been a long week, we haven't been out of the house since last Monday, we haven't walked or anything. With everything being so icy we decided to be careful and just stay in the house. On Wednesday when it was snowing our doorbell rang, it was neighbors from down then street, Father and son, said they'd baked cookies and were sharing them with the neighbors.
I have to say, I do not know how people who go through this every winter, all winter long, and much colder than we've been do it. I find the cold scary. On Wednesday evening our electricity went out, still don't know why---ice on the lines, transformer blown, someone hit a power pole. We're an all electric house and when the electricity goes we have no heat. Thank goodness we have 2 propane fireplaces. Mac hooked up our generator, plugged in a lamp and was getting ready to plug in the tv when the power came back on. We have a great electric coop and they are always on the job. I was sure glad to have the electricity back, that meant that we'd be able to use our electric blanket, couldn't make it without it.
I've been puttering and trying to stay warm and not think about how high our electric bill is going to be. I've nearly finished the cross-stitch I've been working on since last summer, read, watched movies, saw the second Kingsman and an older James Bond, Casino Royale with Daniel Craig, baked cookies, made soup.
Now I'm looking forward to getting out of the house for a while, starting to get cabin fever. Hope this is the end of cold weather for a while.
How sweet of your neighbours to share cookies. You could go ice skating on your pool! Hope you manage to stay warm.
ReplyDeletePeople always seem to be extra kind to each other in cold weather. How lovely to have cookies. Take care if you do go out, mind the ice. B x
ReplyDeleteSuch kind neighbours to bring cookies. Hopefully you will soon be able to get out and about again:)
ReplyDeleteYour winter photos look so beautiful and yet so cold. It's been over twenty years since I moved from my home state of Washington, where below minus wind chills, snow drifts and schools cancelled were normal happenings. Back then, I didn't think much of it, since it was just how things were. Now, looking back, I don't even have the proper clothes for winter weather now! I'm happy your electricity is back on and that you have many hobbies to keep you occupied. Stay warm and hopefully you can get out and about a bit. Hugs, Pat
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about the electric bill, too. Won't be fun.
ReplyDeleteWow, I wouldn't have made it as long as you did. We didn't get out since Tuesday until today and I thought I'd go nuts! Our biggest problems here are the bridges, no plows and no sand or salt. You can't go anywhere from Georgetown without using the bridges and they ice back up from evening until afternoon the next day. I've never been snowed/iced in this long in all the years I lived way up North!
ReplyDeleteSince I have lived my entire life in California. I can't relate to such cold weather personally. But from my viewpoint it's beautiful. Sorry you are freezing your tush off, and problems with electricity. But alas, this too shall pass...I love the looks of your home. Beautiful. And I love sharing cookies with my neighbors. That was a nice Father son thing!!! Stay warm my friend.
ReplyDeleteI heard from friends in the south that weather had been bad and they had had frost, but i didn't know snow as well. I agree, it's pretty for about 10 minutes and then you just want it to go. Happy new Year, i don't think I wished you that a few days ago! :)
ReplyDeleteDaughter has had it. She is moving back and taking roomates with her 3 or 4 winters in deepest frozen Michigan right across from Canada just too dark, gray, frozen, and white out !
ReplyDeleteIt is too hot here. My meyers Lemons is full of buds !
cheers, parsnip and mandibles
We have an all electric home, heaven help us if the power goes in this cold. You are fortunate to have the fireplaces!
ReplyDeleteLovely neighbors! Fresh homemade cookies, how kind.
I would almost bet this isn't the last we see of icy cold weather this winter, I hate to say. Get out and about while the getting is good, haha.
Stay warm@
We haven't had snow, just a string of days when temperatures don't get above 20 F. I made a dash to the compost heap this morning, have no intentions of lingering outside.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to have generous neighbors to cheer you up. Hoping for your sake you're done with the cold.
ReplyDeleteThat was very kind, how thoughtful. Hope the weather soon gets back to normal and all that ice melts away.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful neighbours you have. This recent cold front hit parts of the UK last night with temperatures plummeting.
ReplyDeleteLast night was the coldest we've had in years. Everywhere was white with a heavy frost. I think I'd rather have snow, at least it's warmer! UK has bragged for years that our winters have been mild, but it seems things have changed... for the worse. I like that your neighbour came round with cookies. Am I tinge jealous? Yes!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely of your neighbours. I think people do pull together when the snow arrives, it's the same here. Hope this is the last of the cold weather for you, the temperature has dropped here but there's no snow about.
ReplyDeleteWe stay very busy, cold or not. I haven't been to town since Dec 29. We talk, clean, cook, take care of our critters, read, listen to the radio (no TV) keep the water going, paint and fix furniture to sell, etc. I list on ebay and write, Larry putters outside or in the (heated) buildings all day long. He hates staying inside. Yesterday the water finally froze off and he was under the house and outside all day getting it fixed. We have free gas, so oddly our backup heat is electric.
ReplyDeleteHang in there Janet! Seeing the snow in your yard is just amazing! It would definitely be a challenge to manage when you don't have a big furnace or have the winter road crews dumping salt on the roads and sidewalks. Not worth going out and slipping and landing hard on the pavement! Stay safe inside. We've been waking up to -27C the past few days with ice inside the windows. I sneak over to the thermostat and move it up to 23C for a little to warm the house thoroughly ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree! No way could I live anywhere north of here. This has been the coldest week I remember. Tomorrow it is supposed to reach 40 degrees and that will feel like summertime. This morning it was 3.9 when I got up. The cold scares me too, and I simply can't get in the mood to work inside when it's so cold outside. Crazy?? Even Bun Bun looked miserable this morning. He had straw frozen to his whiskers.
ReplyDeleteOh, I meant to say, you have a beautiful home!!
ReplyDeleteYou get used to the cold, we have too as it is cold here for so long. I was outside for a good long time today cause it was warmer than it has been. Be careful on the ice...I will take snow anyday versus ice:)
ReplyDeleteYou have very sweet neighbor.. hope you are fine in this cold..love
ReplyDeleteYour neighbours sound great ...
ReplyDeleteHope your cold weather will disappear soon.
All the best Jan
Happy New Year,Mac and Janet!
ReplyDeleteYour surroundings look so cold...the water in the pool has not frozen?
I am waiting for snow comes here but the weather is just windy and cold.
It has been so long since I met you in Kyoto. Did you travel to Nara?
I think of you every time I look at the dear Mac painted for me.
Have a good day!
We didn't make it to Nara, maybe someday. Yes our pool froze, it finally thawed out yesterday.
DeleteYour house sure is pretty in the snow! Can't believe how cold your weather is - that is our average temperature this time of year, but we are used to it. Sweater weather! Sounds like you made good use of your time inside and how nice of your neighbors to come around with the cookies! Hope it warms up soon for you. x Karen
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm with you, don't know how folks stand a steady diet of snow. We haven't had snow but have had the most fridgid weather we've had in years. Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe cold in the South is worse than cold up north. I lived in and near Buffalo for many, many years - but the one time I had a burst pipe (and the inconvenient flood in the living room with it) was in South Carolina. Glad it doesn't last long down here!