We Are In The Grip of a Deep Freeze
For the last week we have been "enjoying" very cold weather. The temperature has been below - 15C during the day and below -30C at night. With a little wind chill you can add 15 degrees Celcius. Even here in "southern" Northern Ontario we have had at least one day where it felt like -40C. In the real North, and more westerly part of Ontario, it has been even colder.
I used to like this kind of weather, in small doses. I think my age is showing for I no longer relish going outside in it. It is hard on a person and even harder on some of my animals. Unfortunately, I do not have enough animals to have their body heat keep the barn warm. I remember, fondly, when I did have my barn full, on days like today I could join the animals in the barn and enjoy the soft sounds there of their movement and beathing and the lovely smell of animals, hay and manure. . .yes, manure. There is something invigorating about "farm fresh". You would think some perfumer would have bottled it by now. I comes to cling to your clothes so that when you go to town people give you sideway glances and sometime your own space.
This picture does not do it justice but the trees have frost frozen on the branches. When I look toward the river in the morning there is fog rising off the river and covering the trees with ice lace that glistens in the rising sun.
As you can see from this picture we still do not have much snow here. The bank of snow by the side of the road would normally be waist high. The fields would have at least 2 feet of snow cover. All around us they are getting more snow. In the snow belt in Southern Ontario they have had a lot and north of us they get snow that comes off Lake Superior. Perhaps, we will get a deep snowfall yet.
I went to my unheated attic and took this picture of Jack Frost's handy work. The North facing windows and the skylights are frosted over while the south facing Window's are clear.
A couple of days ago there was a light snow fall. The Dogs seemed to like it. My neighbour's dog Blackie has taken to showing up to play with Ben while his master is off trucking. He is a lovely gentle obedient dog, unlike my Ben. I have brought him in the house at night due to the cold. He quietly tolerates the cats and sleeps in the upstairs hall while Ben takes up his place under my bed.
I fear if Blackie doesn't stay home his master will evenually shoot him, which is the usual fate of a disobedient dog in the country. Only softies, like myself, tolerate, work with, and around, dog behaviour. If my neighbour offered me his dog I would be tempted to take it in.
I used to always have two dogs. Blackie does seem to know where he belongs. Early this morning, I heard my neighbours truck go by as he returned from a night shift. . . . so did Blackie! I opened the door and off he went after the truck.
It is hard to imagine that come March we will be enjoying the first signs of Spring. In the meantime, I have lots to do in the house and I am thinking of starting some plants, indoors to set out in the garden come the end of May. Anything to fight off the cloud of depression that hangs over me this time of year!
1 Comments:
send your weather our way if you like. Today it was almost like spring with temps in the high 50's. Spring will be here soon but I would love a good cold heavy snow at least once before winter goes to sleep.
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