This bitter cold weather sure has put everyone into a funk, barely a week past the joy of the holiday season.
I started to title this blog post “Baked Alaska” after I heard an interview on WWJ earlier today with a resident of Anchorage, Alaska who said they are enduring a heat spell there. The temps were in the 30s and 40s, even up to a balmy 51 degrees! Please note I used the phrase “enduring a heat spell” … the gentleman in the interview stated most Alaskans enjoy their very cold weather and were not fond of the warmer temps. Hmm – well send that balmy weather here then, because when I ventured out to run the car this morning, it was four below zero and -17 wind chill. Brrr!
I was sitting in the car in the driveway looking up and down the street at the houses covered in icicles, both the real deal and those pretty icicle lights. I imagine most of the holiday décor is frozen to the ground or onto the houses right about now.
I try to be a glass-half-full person as much as possible, even if nowadays that glass of liquid is probably frozen solid. I struggled to create a list of the plusses for this cold spell, and I couldn’t think of any, except the snow didn’t stick to the shovel yesterday.
I did have a few observations in the half-hour that I braved that brutal wind chill to trudge outside this morning.
Today was National Bird Day and in the still morning I heard some tiny tweets coming from my ornamental tree out front. This tree is still cloaked in leaves and wearing a cap of snow over the top of it. That snow settled down onto the branches and has not moved, frozen in place, courtesy of a glaze of rain following that Christmas Eve snowfall. I think the bird was hiding in there as his tweets were faint and almost pitiful sounding. I bent down to peer through the tree, but I didn’t see him, so he must have been nestled up high, under the snow. I had nothing for him and I am sure that he, and his brethren, are missing the many feeders my neighbor Marge used to put out for them. A few times I’ve seen the birds looking wistfully toward her deck and there is nothing for them there, even the heated birdbath they once enjoyed.
I wandered around the backyard a bit before coming back inside – after all, it took me a half hour to get suited up to step outside, and there were no errands, shoveling or walks on my agenda, so I occupied myself with a trip to the backyard.
Two houses away, I watched the Comcast guy, after dragging his extension ladder out of the truck, hooking it together, then climbing slowly up to the top of the pole. He removed his heavy gloves and began to fiddle around with something. The cold air was obviously uncomfortable as he kept blowing on his hands, hoping his warm breath would breathe life into his numb fingers.
I discovered a large dead tree limb had come crashing down on my lilac tree the other day, and I wanted to check it out. I’m puzzled where that limb originated from. Was it part of the tree itself or the tall trees in the house behind? I can’t tell, but it has to be removed in the Spring before the tree comes to life once again … if it comes to life once again. I felt badly seeing the broken branches and hope the damage is not severe, as it as it is part of a pair of lilac trees, with its counterpart like a bookend at the opposite end of the back garden. These trees are over fifty years old.
I’ve decided that most people will be seeking comfort food this weekend, craving all those fattening goodies like baked macaroni and cheese with a crispy au gratin topping, or banana pudding, or even better … bread pudding. Perhaps folks will be cooking up a big pot of chili for these beyond-chilly days. Of course, we could overindulge and eat our way into a new size if we’re not careful, despite our New Year’s resolutions.
I, for one, can’t increase my girth because my landing is so small, that if I grow one inch sideways, I swear that I will not be able to navigate pulling off and on the boots, while balancing on one foot at a time, while trying to feel unencumbered in my bulky puffy coat. In my next life, or next house – whichever comes first, I want a mud room.
Winter is really getting old already, but I’m buoyed by the chatter about a January thaw by mid-week. Perhaps I can head down to Council Point Park, and get in a real walk, and maybe take the camera as well.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Miss Linda………………..i enjoyed your blog today…………………..I felt chilly reading it……………yes its hard pulling on those long socks and boots………………………some more pluses about this weather……..there are younger people over here who want a hockey rink on our apartment pond……………they even drilled to see how deep the ice is for safety…………they, our management even painted our exercise room to bright orange, my favorite color……………..to entice me to want to go over and use the treadmill…………………….
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Ann Marie – my landing is so small and I keep the shovel inside the house, (downstairs in a boot tray), so I bring it upstairs when I am ready to head out to shovel. So, I have a boot tray on the landing for the shovel and another one for my boots so the rug does not get dirty or wet, so, there’s not a lot of room there and I have to balance on one leg like a flamingo. Would you consider skating on the skating rink Ann Marie? You said you skated as a youngster, and, you could use the rink when the younger people are at school or not playing hockey. You’ll be inspired to do this if you watch the Winter Olympics next month. My mom and used to watch all the skating competitions back in the 80s and 90s, then the Winter Olympic figure skaters and ice dancers as well. I used to enjoy watching them. Orange would be a big draw – it will beckon you. You might get out this week to walk at the apartment – we are having a big thaw on Tuesday and Wednesday … all the way to 41 degrees.
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cold cold cold cold cold
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Here in Southeast Michigan, we are all excited today as it got above 20 for the first day since Christmas. That’s a little sad isn’t it? But maybe where you are is worse, so I won’t complain!
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But this is climate change right? It isn’t natural ?
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Sounds like the opposite effect to me! I kind of liked those last two mild Winters we had in Southeast Michigan after the back-to-back frigid and snowy Winters before then.
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All part of climate change though 🙂 Fluctuations in weather. I think, I’m no expert 😉
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I don’t like all the fluctuations in weather – we have had very hot and dry Summers the last two years … we had a bad drought this past Fall and it was warm weather through October and part of November … for some trees, the leaves fell off in late September and never turned color. My ornamental weeping maple lost none of its leaves in Fall as it usually does. I don’t care for this strangeness of the weather and it bothers me, but I am a “weather worrier” to begin with. 🙂
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“Thaw! Melt! Frost-free!” 🙂 “I command thee, Mother Nature!”
Yes, it’s been so cold, I have not ventured out back for a week.
Pretty seasonal pics you have here, brave soul. Cheerz to you!
Have a great Sunday and a warmer week, I pray.
Peace, luvz and hugz, UT
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Uncle Tree: Your command to Ol’ Ma Nature made me smile! Finally, after setting a record for 14 continuous days not hitting 20 degrees, we hit pay dirt today – 25 degrees. And, we’re getting a January thaw later in the week. I work from home, so I wouldn’t need to leave the house in this brutal cold, except I have to run my car since I don’t drive it enough. As it is, it is on a trickle charger. The garage is attached, but I can’t access it from the house, so I do the daily trudge, even when I don’t have to shovel. As to the pictures, well … I kinda/sorta cheated. I used to use stock photos a lot for this blog and took three old stock photos I bought a few years ago, recycled them and went to Fotor.com and created a collage. Stay warm! P.S. – My photos aren’t that good. 🙂
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