Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Baby, It's Cold Outside

We're having a real winter this year.  When the temp warms up a bit, it snows as it did nearly all day yesterday. (It was beautiful.)
 
After the snow, the thermometer dips down to just a few degrees above zero for a day time high and then into the teens below at night.  That's the weather outlook for us right now and for the next several days.
 
After all our moving of snow and shoveling late yesterday, the high winds blew all last night (ask me how I know), and this morning we are faced with more shovel work to clear the drifts the wind made.  (Why do the drifts always end up in just the wrong places?)
 
But as they say, it's winter time, real winter time, in northern Minnesota.  Our house is so well banked with snow now that we aren't even putting a night time log into our stoves to keep a fire going all night.  Morning house temperature is low to mid-60s but easily warms up to 70° almost before we have our morning coffee consumed.  All is good. 
 

I finished and put up this blue and white winter cross-stitch piece I showed in a post previously.  Yes, I know I would like it better just a bit lower on this small wall space, but I chose not to put another hanger hole in the dry wall.  (That's one reason I like wood paneled walls.  All of my various nail holes don't seem to show.)

Wherever you are located, stay warm and safe and healthy.  I'm pretending I'm moving to the kitchen counter now to bake a pan of apple slices.  It will be just pretend as we're both trying to avoid sweets (and an over-abundance of all calories) as our exercise out in the fresh, clean and clear winter air has given both of us one heckuva mighty appetite over which we need to gain control.  Wish us luck.
 
 

14 comments:

Rosalea said...

Beautiful. So glad you have snow and are staying warm. We finally got enough to bank up the house, and yes, it keeps things so toasty, with no need to feed the stove overnight, the temperature still in the low 70's, high 60's come morning. We actually got to snowshoe around the trails, as there is enough snow now. Hoping for more though!

Mama Pea said...

Rosalea - Yay! I know you've waited a long time for your snow. It's so good for the ground (poor man's fertilizer, don'tcha know!) and a banked house really does stay warmer. Now if only that darned wind wouldn't keep rearranging the snow that's right where we want it. :o(

NanaDiana said...

We have lots of snow here, too. The winter winds and temps are what get to me. I want to hibernate like a bear. lol

I have been using one of those apple slicers on my apples-the one that frees the core from the apple and makes equal slices. I remove the core, put in in a small bowl, put some Stevia (or calorie free brown sugar) on it, sprinkle it with cinnamon or apple pie spice, throw a few pecans in the center and put it in the microwave for about 90 seconds. It is a real treat without the calories and goes so good with a cup of coffee as a treat.

Mama Pea said...

NanaDiana - Don't the winds make it absolutely miserable? Such a difference than on a still day. Brrrr. We still have eating apples keeping well from our trees so we've been trying to each eat an apple a day. Gotta say, though, your method sounds a wee bit more appetizing!

tpals said...

A lot of our snow melted, then the wind switched and everything flash-froze. Turned my sidewalks into ice paths. It's a good day to make soup though.

Mama Pea said...

tpals - Oh, hate that ice! (Love soup though.) We're in for another cold night. Temp is 1° above zero already now at 5:30 p.m. Brrrr!

Marie said...

I have to admit - Tuesday's 41' was super spectacular, at least it put a crust on the fluffy white stuff so it didn't blow very much .. this too shall pass .... dreaming of spring

Mama Pea said...

Marie - You had 41° today? Sounds lovely but we won't see that for quite a while. But if we're gonna keep having these winds that pick up the snow on the ground and blow it into packed hard drifts, the crust you speak of sounds pretty good!

betty said...

The cross stitch looks nice where you hung it!

I'm betting you are getting lots of exercise shoveling snow? Could that help you then indulge in a bit of sweets every now and then? It has to be something with the cold that makes people more hungry. I know when it is colder I feel more like munching.

Stay warm as you can!

betty

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Mama Pea said...

betty - Thanks! For sure being active outside in the cold weather does burn calories but we tend to be inside more in this kind of weather than at any other time of year. (We were just talking about this last night.) Keeping one's food intake on a balanced level is always something to think about. And we're certainly not perfect, but trying to stay away from an overabundance of sweets is always something to strive for. (We fall off the wagon often and do enjoy our share of goodies!) ;o)

wyomingheart said...

Not meaning to be cruel, but we are still on our Florida trip. So happy you have a bank around the house now! We have been checking the cameras on the ridge, and it has been howling wind and rain and snow mixed and several days in a row that won’t make it above freezing! Happy to be south for awhile.! Take care and that apple a day, is perfect!

Mama Pea said...

wyomingheart - Keep soaking up that sunshine Vit. D. And bring some back with you to share with all of us so bundled up when we go outside that the only place we can possibly feel the sunshine is a little bit below our eyebrows and above our nose! Have fun and have a safe time in your travels.