WALK ALONG WITH ME #2 ( Winter 2017/2018)
WALK ALONG WITH ME #2 ( Winter 2017/2018)
This installation of WALK ALONG WITH ME #2 is about the 2017/2018 winter during the first half of January. I will create additional posts based on things mentioned in this one, so stay tuned.
So far I think this winter has been fairly mild. All in all, there have only been a couple of snow storms. Our heater wasn't even turned on until mid December. Sure, it has been cold, but not as it has been in years gone by. On the couple of occasions it has snowed, it either did not stick or thawed as soon as the sun came out the next day. That is until a few weeks ago when temperatures were below 0 degrees Fahrenheit for about a week.
The first night it got so cold! We were lucky an outside faucet did not burst because there was a garden hose still hooked up to that spigot. I HAD removed it before the winter set in, but hooked it back up to clean a car we are trying to sell (never happened, bummer). Then, of course, I forgot about it like I was told not to do. We had been out for errands on the day which was supposed to be the first night they were calling for negative temperatures, only getting home an hour or two after dark. As soon as I saw the hose still connected I rushed over to quickly take it off. Both the hose and the spigot were packed full of ice. Luckily the next morning the south facing sun warmed the spigot up enough to melt all of the ice inside of it. There were no leaks inside or outside of the house (I did turn it on recently on a day that was in the mid 60's to double check. All Good!). It is also helpful that our waterlines are inside and made of pex because they can tolerate a little bit of expansion. Not good that I forgot but no harm came of it, this time!...
Anyhow, it was bone chilling cold that week. Weirdly enough, it warmed up the following week, of which one of those days it got into the mid 60s! Can you believe that!?! Early January feeling like the beginning of April? Crazy! Shortly thereafter, when winter came back, we got hit by a decent snow storm. The first real snow of the season, as far as I'm concerned. It was a little after the major winter storm that rolled through the South East. All told we got about 4-6 inches of snow. Here are some of the pictures I took with my Moto X smartphone in the predawn hours as it was still coming down.
It got cold enough that it was pretty nasty and slick for a few days. I had to get out in it once to go to the Post Office, even though it was very icy where I live. I made sure to leave during the brightest part of the day and make it back before darkness set in when driving conditions would have been even worse. When I got home I noticed a bunch of tracks in the snow which I'd overlooked earlier.
My analytical mind can't make sense of it. I am assuming at least one of the sets of footsteps was from the resident opossums that frequently walk between that apple tree and the next. Yet, how in the heck does a 4 legged varmint walk with only one footprint in a single file line, not side by side? Can you smell the neurons in my brain shorting out trying to comprehend this phenomenon? What the heck kind of animals make these patterns in the snow in the picture below? (wink wink)
I love watching the sunsets, despite whatever the weather is. Usually I find myself outside even without looking at the time. Somehow my body just knows. Just like how on the bad insomnia nights I still wake up with the sunrise. Inconvenient, but magical, nonetheless. The circadian rhythm is a funny thing. Anyhow, I got out my celly to take some of these pictures while there was still a little light. These two pictures are my favorite. I might not be able to look straight at the sun, but my camera can!
Here you can see another single file set of tracks in the snow along the bridge above the creek.
Down in the creek you can see that it was so frozen the deer used it as a walkway. I wonder how they knew it was solid enough to be safe.
CAUTION! CAUTION! CAUTION! (OOPS)
It was so cold that being outside in the negative 6 degrees for less than 10 minutes created a situation where I could feel the burning numbness and lack of coordination begin in my fingers and toes. I knew I had stretched my time outside too long. Staying any longer would have pushed me into frostbite territory, especially with the sun setting. What on earth was I thinking? The truth is I got too distracted dilly dallying around, which meant I was not being very smart about the situation. I rushed as fast as I could on the iced over driveway. Once inside the house I quickly took off my shoes, socks, and fingerless gloves, rubbing and blowing on my appendages for a few minutes. They were like little red ice cubes (thanks bad circulation!). Then I stuck them inside a heating pad set on high that was placed beneath several layers of blankets, continuing to rub them vigorously. Soon the feeling came back, the color returned to normal, warmth returned.
The moral of this story is: BE SMART IN THE WINTER. Don't dilly dally outside ooo-ing and awe-ing at nature's glitter during the setting winter sun, especially during negative windchill and temperatures, even if the next morning those footprints might melt away due to an uncharacteristic spring like day unusual for the season. Spring will come again.
If interested, the first WALK ALONG WITH ME #1 series can be found at the following links
GRASS IS OUR FRIEND
Little Bluestem—Beneficial & Beautiful
BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF FALSE INDIGO BUSH
DANDY DANDELION–FAVORITE POSTS FROM FELLOW STEEMIANS
That's all for now. Thank you for following along. Until the next post... Also, if you enjoy these posts, I would greatly appreciate a follow, up-vote, and resteem. #PAL
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Stunning pictures, it makes me feel cold, and I'm in Dubai.
Thanks! Is it hot in Dubai? Do you get cold winters there?
It feels cold right now, but that's because I've acclimatised. 18 degrees is cold to me. :-D
haha I see. I'm assuming that is 18 degrees C?
Yes, it will be warm again soon. Probably next week. :-)
Lovely walkwithme @phedizzle, certainly looks cold! We're in the midst of summer here. Love the pic with the sun peeking out :)
Where are you at in the world? Southern hemisphere? Thanks for the kind words
From a hot South Africa! Keep warm over there in the Northern hemisphere @phedizzle
I enjoyed your blog and pictures. I too wonder how these 4 legged creatures walk to have footprints in a single file. Tipoe and jumping?
I guess. I can't figure it out. Maybe a cat? Goodness knows opposums aren't coordinated enough hehe
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