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When the heated water bowl looks like this, you know it’s seriously cold.
And that was this morning, which by comparison was tropical at 10F/-6C.
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Today I was able to place all the additions without having to come in to thaw my fingers.
Yesterday I needed to come in twice.
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Hard to believe perhaps, but I don’t actually like feeling cold.
After 6 years in SE Asia, I returned to England in time for two of the coldest winters in decades. Even in bed beneath 6 layers of blankets and an eiderdown, I could not warm up.
My years on Long Island were an improvement because I lived in a well heated home, but the winters of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s were bitter.
One year, which may even have been in the 90’s, I remember that there were 6 significant snow storms in a row. It was tedious driving and dealing with delayed flights, not to mention waiting for the bus to and from the parking lot in the freezing cold.
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Then in 2000, I moved to Seattle where I never even wore a coat. Strangely, the winter after I left to come back east, Seattle began having harsh winters.
The extreme cold I’d expected Upstate New York was not bothersome at all since I seldom needed to be outdoors for long and our recent winters have been surprisingly mild.
We’d begun to wonder if we’d see another cold one, but here it is!
No longer having to “deal” with the unpleasant aspects of winter however, my attitude changed completely.
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Even before I retired, I saw beauty in snow and the patterns of frost and ice.
Now, I have the luxury to enjoy it.
Building with ice blocks freezes the fingers and bending to place them and photograph them aggravates back and joint pain.
While I would have hardly had the stamina for polar exploration, a little temporary discomfort is worth it for the pleasure derived.
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Last winter I’m not sure we even had frost on the garage windows.
Another delight.
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A challenge to photograph.
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With sometimes unexpected results!
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It may not look like much, but this activity is time consuming.
Morning chores are being neglected!
Oh, the horror.
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By the time I came back in yesterday and almost regained feeling in my hands and feet, Grant was off to the post office and on days like this, I could not decline the ride.
Not expecting to get out of the car and not liking to be bundled up while sitting in it, I exchanged a light coat for the sheep’s skin, though I kept on my muck boots.
Which was fortunate…
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Because of course, we didn’t come straight home.
Over by the Batten Kill River, I noticed that the trees were frosted.
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So we did a quick loop..
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Which brought us back to the river…
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The bank is steep and was snow covered, but we could get pictures from the bridge, so we hopped out and as we enjoyed the view, another Nature lover arrived.
A frequent visitor, she knew a path to the river’s edge. In muck boots, I could manage.
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Proving you should always be prepared…
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…and that timing is everything.
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If we’d come a few minutes sooner or later…
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…it’s unlikely we’d have found our way down.
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And the view was wonderful.
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Not least of a wonderful sycamore towering over the river.
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We climbed back up to the car and moved a few feet further down the road.
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Where I had to get back out.
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It was a very cold day for a frolic by the river, but in my view this is the best and most beautiful time and I am so glad we didn’t miss it.
By the time I noticed that I felt cold, we were home with the kettle on.
Beautiful frosty pictures. I love the filigree patterns!
Your photos are magical!
I doubt I’d be able to handle the cold you went through decades ago – I’d become a Grizzly bear and hibernate never to be seen out of her cave! 😉
Thank you, Carolyn, for the stunning ice photos!
Joanna
Wow! I have never seen snow…at least I don’t remember seeing it. I already have a problem at 15 degrees. Not sure I can survive -6. The photographs are beautiful! I love the bird footprints.
Snow is beautiful to admire from afar, Shaily. Everyday life in snow is not much fun though.
I wonder why the birds walk around in circles like that – very interesting (and quite artistic as you rightly said) … almost like your own ice sculptures. I think one’s idea of the cold (and extremely hot) weather definitely changes when you are no longer part of the working sector. Wow Carolyn, you had a beautiful road trip – I’m so glad you share all this beauty with us!
We have just had two quite mild winters in succession in Beetley. I am not complaining, as since I turned 70 I have really started to feel the cold. Even inside with the central heating on, I rarely feel ‘toasty’ any longer, and it takes a long time for my hands to warm up once I get out of bed.
Best wishes, Pete.