This is the third 'snow day' my two college students have had in 2014. And although we've had plenty of snow, none of these days has been due to snow, but to extreme temperatures. And we've added a new vocabulary word: polar vortex. I did not need that word in my life.
This is what my thermometer has looked like for more days in January than I care to think about:
Oh, is your thermometer broken, you ask? No, that's what negative degrees looks like. At noon! It's been a sad winter when you go outside to shovel and think to yourself, "Hey, it feels pretty warm out here!" Then you go inside to check the temps and see it's a real scorcher at 12 degrees.
Since they are warning against going outdoors for any reason (besides those not in education, who have to go to work), I've been hanging out watching the little bit of wildlife I can see from my window. Heck, even the squirrels are no where to be found! These are taken from my window, so you may have to click on them to enlarge.
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Lonely Cardinal
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Find the Hidden Blue Jay
Northern Junco Eating Off the Unnecessary Squirrel Baffler
Finally! After wondering why we never have any woodpeckers at this house, the day I have my camera out and ready, this fellow arrived! Welcome!!!
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Surprisingly, no deer sightings today, but they left their tracks behind in the snow last night.
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" "Hey, it feels pretty warm out here!" Then you go inside to check the temps and see it's a real scorcher at 12 degrees."
ReplyDeleteHA! HILARIOUS!
Today here in Philly it was 14, tomorrow it's going down to 12!
WOW...you've had much lower temps than we've had. I don't think we've reached a minus yet. I was outside for about 2 1/2 hours today taking pictures, and when I took off my right-hand glove to snap the camera, my finger tips literally turned BLUE and felt like they were going to snap off.
You got some great photographs! Especially love the one of the woodpecker. What beautiful colors!
Stay warm, my friend!
X
Oh wow, Ron, 2.5 hours outside? Do you still have your nose? I limit myself to a half hour of shoveling and that's it! Even with mittens, my fingers start to get that freezer burn feeling.
ReplyDeletewe've started several days at -5 to -10 the last 2 weeks. Fun times. frozed pipes. you know the drill. or maybe not.
ReplyDeletethe office furnace fell behind and never got the place above 57 for 3 days.
BTW- great pics. we've had a lot of extra visitors including a bunch of deer nightly at the apple tree that i've captured on the game cam. Will post on that later.
ReplyDeleteNo frozen pipes here, but definitely frost and ice inside the windows! My husband keeps an illegal space heater in his office.
DeleteSo pretty with the snow! But those extreme temps wears one out; I don't think the body ever gets used to it (I never did the years we lived in Montana).
ReplyDeleteWhat pretty birds come to visit!
I think it would be neat to see the deer tracks in the snow.
One can only hope relief will go with an early warm Spring!
betty
I know I've never gotten used to it in 50 years, although I will admit it has bothered me more as I've gotten older.
DeleteExcellent! Very good catches!
ReplyDeleteToday is the first day I saw any birds out. The last few days they were all lying low I guess. I am making sure to keep my bird feeders full for the poor little buggers.
Stay warm!
Thanks, Kat. It was eerie to see so few, when over the weekend during the snowstorm, we had a full house at the feeder.
DeleteThe other day, I was walking in to my office from the parking lot (really BIG parking lot). The cold and the wind were causing my eyes to tear up. . . and then freezing the tears. THAT was cold. . .
ReplyDeleteI tell folks that in the 40 years or so since I moved from Way Up North to the southern part of our state, that we've had maybe five real winters. This one qualifies, most definitely. . .
Last night I experienced my nose drip and then freeze, while making my way to my car. So, yeah, it's been real!
DeleteReally, you're advised not to go outdoors? It must be seriously cold. We're having a relatively mild winter. Virtually no snow, ice or frost the last few months.
ReplyDeleteI guess the squirrels must have hunkered down somewhere warm and cosy.
Yes, when the wind chill is -34 degrees F., you can get frostbite on uncovered skin in less than a minute. I lost feeling in my thumb for a few hours and I had gloves on two days ago. I was putting groceries in my car.
Deletepolar vortex is not welcome in my vocabulary either - and why the heck would you want to go outside if you didn't have to??
ReplyDeleteSometimes you need to get the mail!
DeleteWow, Bijoux, I thought it was cold here in Brooklyn!
ReplyDeleteWe're having a veritable heat wave of 38 degrees--woo-hoo!
I love the photos. Being stuck inside brings out the creativity! Stay warm!
It did warm up today. I think it's about 30 degrees, but starting to snow again. Sucks to be me!
DeleteOops, I think I deleted my own comment before it posed.
ReplyDeleteI was saying I thought it was quite sane to stay indoors and bird watch. And also that ours school have take NINE snow days in January!
Nine days is a lot! My son said there was an email about taking away their 'reading day' (study day for finals) to add an extra day for classes, but he thought his profs would ignore it. It's rare to get any snow days in college here, so three has been significant.
DeleteLove the woodpecker pic! What a beauty!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean! Happy Monday!
Deletei like the way the woodpecker seems to be peeking around the corner.
ReplyDeleteHe was checking me out!
DeleteI'm so with you: I generally love winter, but this one has taxed my affection. And when it's an amazing 6 degrees, I, too, marvel at how balmy it feels!
ReplyDeleteGreat birdie shots!
You generally love winter? That's crazy talk!
DeleteMakes me feel silly for getting excited over the possibility of snow out here this weekend. But this is Portland...we NEVER get snow. This winter has been a mild, dry bust. I'm even happy that the temperature is supposed to drop to the teens. I know, I know: I'm a weirdo.
ReplyDeleteNot cool, Mark, not cool! Hahaha
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