Since my last post, I have ushered in a new year, lazed on the beach in Costa Rica, baked a lot of Christmas cookies and felt the cold settle in. And my, has it ever settled. Last night we had a low of -11 and a high of -1. When you’re dealing with temperatures in the negatives, it just all feels well…cold. Steve ran our wind machines last night to keep the dormant peach fruit buds from winter-killing. Translation: A man made effort to trick Mother Nature’s peach buds (this springs blossoms) from dying from the cold. Running wind machines is a task usually left for spring bloom. This year the task begins early.
It’s cold enough that my nose hairs freeze and I cough upon inhalation when I walk out the door. It’s cold enough that I worry about our “girth-enhanced” Australian Shepherd being outside. The water for the animals freezes within 5 minutes and the fruit cooler doors are frozen shut. It’s warmer when I walk into our 15X20′ freezer than being outside. Thankfully, Steve got our 1920’s single-paned house windows covered a few days ago and while it has a feel of the “Walton’s”, our upstairs is warmer. Perhaps the “Walton’s” didn’t have plastic? It’s cold enough that I’m pleading with my kids to wear socks to school and telling my son to pull up his jacket hood, hopeful that the word “frostbite” will provide some leverage.
At the moment, Steve is plowing the roads around the orchard so the propane truck can fill our 250 gallon propane tanks in case the wind machines need to be run again tonight. Of course, plowing the roads meant starting the tractor. When he started the tractor he realized that it was cold enough to make the diesel fuel turn from liquid to jello. Tractors don’t do so well when run on jello diesel. Did I mention the snow? Yes, we have that, too. If it’s going to be cold, I’m thankful there’s snow to go with it. At least the snow provides a sense of winter and the idea that we can ski, or make snowmen, or build ice forts. None of which we are doing, by the way. Because…my nose hairs are freezing.
