Today is a stunningly beautiful winter day. The sun is bright and gleaming off all the snow covered surfaces creating a sense of cheer that we here in CNY have not felt for months. It has been a gloomy fall and winter. Cloud cover and rain have been staples since summer. This crystalline beauty is welcome, but don’t trust it. It is also brutally cold.
This morning it was minus 10F which was a relief from the cold with high winds of last night. It has finally almost come up to plus 5F degrees but with a steady breeze. This morning when I went out to do chores keeping my body and head warm was not a problem. Even my feet were OK for the hour I was out and about. My hands were a different story. It was possible to wear my heavy gloves to take care of the chickens, and duck and turkey. Sorting, splitting and hauling firewood was also not a problem. Repairing the the tarp that had blown loose on my porch was another story.
All I had to do was thread some baling twine through the grommets and retie the flapping to the porch supports. However neither of those things could be accomplished with my gloves on. The tarp was blowing in the wind and pulling out of my hand. I had to reach through the lattice work and try to grab it as it blew back and forth, then thread the twine through the grommet and around the post through the lattice. Every few minutes I had to stick my hands inside my clothes until I could feel them again and then on to the next procedure. Mission accomplished and I was happy to get inside to do the dishes (warm water!) paperwork and laundry.
Now I need to see if I can get my water thawed. Fortunately it is only the hot water to the bathtub and one sink. I have heaters running in each closed bathroom. I was running the furnace, but now that has stopped. I’m assuming it is so cold the fuel has jelled.
Yes it is a beautiful day, and as I sit by the fire, watching the birds at the feeders, the sun through the trees, and get my exercise letting the cats in and out, I am very content that I don’t have to go out until chore time tonight.