Where do I start?
If you live in the east or the deep south, then you know what COLD is. Me? I never experienced anything colder than 30 degrees till we moved here, and now we are getting lows in the single digits. The lowest so far was 4 degrees, and with a little wind chill added it was well below zero.
Now I know it is far worse for many and I wouldn’t bring it up, but our part of the country is known for its heat, humidity, and sultry atmosphere… practically Jurassic in summer and maybe a frost or two in winter.
To make it worse, the weatherman either lies or doesn’t know what he’s up against, you know I jest here, but on the serious side, he predicted an overnight low of about 17 degrees and when we woke up I had over two inches of ice on the goose’s water buckets! It had actually dropped to 6 deg. overnight. Perhaps that beautiful crystal clear night sky had a lot to do with it? Well, actually, I am certain of it.
Our plumbing in the south is not made for this weather. We are keeping the pipes from bursting here by letting the water drizzle out overnight. No pressure expansion from freezing water this way. However, up at the Mountain Farmlet we did not have that option. Can’t let it run 24/7 now can we?
We did cut the water to the house, left the spigot open, and this worked until our first 5 degree night. Last weekend we found that the main had burst at ground level, and under the house of course! The water will remain off for the duration of this weird cold, and the rent-a-potty will be back till further notice. Sadly, it is simply too cold to safely do much of any work up there at the moment, so we are going up to check doors and windows, fill the kitty feeder, make sure their water is still full and unfrozen in the heated water dish, and that the kitties are OK. In case you’re wondering, we have made friends with another neighbor who has agreed to look in on them in our coldest of weather, and to make sure the raccoons haven’t raided their food again! 😯
So how does the lady of the Farmlet stay warm when out feeding and watering her charges?
Fleece long johns, two fleece robes, an old London Fog rain coat, fleece gloves, a thick velvet neck scarf, and the infamous Crazy Chicken Lady hood. 😉
How I’m surviving the cold, or, how old ladies do selfies. 😉
NOTE: If the cold *water er, weather is forcing you to leave a sink running, and the sound of it drives you crazy, as it does me, then you might try this trick:
Take an old pair of panty hose, cut off one leg and tie it to the spigot. Voilà! No nagging dripping sounds to keep you up all night. 😉 Hint: adjust the end to find the most quiet position at the drain.
Hey, whatever works, right?
*(Thank you, Sweetie! 😉 )
~*~*~*~
Oh, the knee? Still racked up, and I don’t go back the Dr. till next Tuesday. 😐 However, I have purchased a cane to assist me in getting around. It is much more comfortable than the staff, and affords me courtesies in public I never knew existed! 😀
Life on the Farmlet 
First off, I love the panty hose idea. The sound of the water running drives me mad. Me and cold don’t get along, so I can’t imagine it for a person who not accustomed to it. Nice job bundling up though.
Thank you, Mewhoami, and I’m glad you find the pantyhose tip useful! Each year of living here is just full of surprises.
Life is rough right now, but this may just help lift your mood? (Works for me anyway; ) Classified – Inner Ninja ft. David Myles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGhyL8zg3_I
Well, apparently, we are blocked from viewing this video here in the states… Thank you for thinking of me, Deb.
Well that stinks!!
Try googling “you tube/inner ninja” and see if that works…
K!
Got it!
BTW, this reminded me of my brother Eric when he was a kid… here in the states Nunchucks are illegal! He spent the weekend in jail for having them in a park… (my dad wouldn’t post his bail) 😐
This is actually the first time I’ve seen the video – always loved the upbeat tempo and lyrics from the radio. Call me a “goody-two-shoes” if you like, but I must admit to being more than a little upset when the kids actually started making contact – to me, that seems just as bad as what the bullies were doing to them at the beginning… After all, “Two wrongs don’t make a right…” (But it’s still a great song: )
Agree!
I understand the cold. I farm in northern MN where we have just “warmed up” from -50 to -25. I stepped outside the other day and thought “Wow, it’s so nice out!” only to see it was -10! Don’t worry you will acclimate and when you do, you will find 30 above “t-shirt” weather. 🙂 Until then bundle up and smile! (Smiles always make it seem warmer)
Hello, Wildflowrfarm! We actually had gotten used to the 30s and the occasional 20s but this weather is beyond all that, LOL! OH yes, I have to agree about the smiles. You can’t tell by the picture, but I was smiling when I took it. 😉
Btw, lol, LOVE the elephant in your bathroom sink; )
HA! I had to think about that one for a sec…
Now I get it! 😉
i’m laughing SO hard at your “slay the cold” outfit!!! I can’t count the number of nights we all dressed like that INSIDE the old barn of a Victorian house in which I raised my kids! (I’m only slightly exagerrating!!)
Great tip re: the old pantyhose!!!! I hope it gets better for you soon!!
Karen, I DO wear one of the big velour robes all day inside. I also wear wool socks, and high topped fuzzy slippers over them! 😉 Spring is coming, and it has to be better than this! Glad you can use the pantyhose tip!
you have my deepest sympathies! i remember one christmas holiday when temps reached near zero in north mississippi, and were quite frozen in southern mississippi and louisiana. we were in north mississippi and drove home to find water running from beneath our back door. the line in the attic going to our water heater had burst, and the house had at least an inch (it seemed!) from one end to the other. water was dripping from the ceiling in about half of the house… insurance covered most of what was lost, but my oh my, i do not miss those horrible wet cold slices of winter!
you look quite elegant in your garb!!!! stay warm! z
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How awful, Lisa! Thankfully, we aren’t living there yet, and the only damage was to that one line under the house. Glad you think so! (the garb 😉 ) Staying inside for the most part, so yes, I am warm. 🙂
ps.. the flower drop carpet ride will soar out of the bodega in a few hours.. shell i drop flowers or do you want to swing up and ride the magic carpet- and take a time-out break from the water woes?!
No flowers. They will just flash freeze on the way down and shatter when they land. 😉
However, going for a MCR would be divine!
I’m in!
I have to use a cane occasionally, and you’re right, people do treat me a little differently. Good idea re the panty hose and the dripping faucet.
Lillian
I’m sorry you have to use a cane from time to time, Lillian. I hope it isn’t often. As for the pantyhose, since I never wear them anymore, then I’m glad I can still put them to good use!
Oh geez, one more thing… A little advice on Layering For The Cold (from the Great White North; ) Protect your body core: wearing a turtleneck indoors will help keep your inner thermometer (located in your neck) protected (& be sure to put on a scarf for outdoors); a light wool sweater will wick moisture away from the first layer without robbing body heat (wool can absorb up to 75% of its weight in moisture and still keep you warm); fleece will add “dead air” space for insulation and finally, a windproof/waterproof layer – preferably breathable – to top it all off… If possible, avoid 100% cotton next to your skin: cotton is for cooling, so wear wool socks or poly blends and change as needed.
But, most importantly: if you’re cold, PUT ON A HAT – 85% of body heat is lost off the top of your head, so put a lid on it; )
I usually wear sleeveless T’s around the house as anything with long sleeves or a turtle neck will make me spontaneously combust !!! (think hot flash 😯 ) Over the T-shirt I wear one of the fleece robes to stay warm. 😉 As for outside garb, you have pretty much described what I was wearing, Deb. 😉
Well that stinks!!
Try googling “you tube/inner ninja” and see if that works…
re the “hot flash”? Got this from an herbalist friend… Do you grow sage? Brew up a handful in your teapot. Allow to cool/keep in the fridge. A tablespoon morning and night will end your trouble: )
LOL, I will try that, but in the meantime just stepping outside will do the trick and tout de suite! 😉
No really! It’s a super cute video – ‘specially for kids who sometimes get bullied…
cold cold cold.. that is all, love the mad hat.. layers.. we are good at layers!!..take care.. c
We are, aren’t we? Though I do not believe I could survive your cold, even in my getup! 😉
Thank you, Celi, and you as well!
This has definitely been the worst winter we’ve had probably since I was a kid. I normally don’t mind the cold too much, but when the thermometer starts showing only one digit, I’m officially ready for Spring!
This is the worst winter for me, bar none! But, I have a picture that may help to cheer you up, ES! I will be posting it tomorrow! 😀
Spring? ME TOO!
Ooooh! I can’t wait to see what it is!
Oh, now that I have built up the suspense, I do hope you won’t be disappointed! 😀
Excuuuuse me, but I LOVE that “Crazy Chicken Lady hood”!! I loved it the first time I saw you in it! I have the ugliest ear flap cap ever made, but I love ear flap caps because they keep my head and ears warm.
I see you have much worse temps than we have in Oklahoma. This is the coldest winter I can remember in the 24 years I’ve lived here, but it’s still a far cry from the misery I grew up in in Nebraska. I have empathy for all who are enduring colder than usual temps. I saw a VERY old opossum come to the water tub yesterday. He lingered for a long time before lumbering back to the pecan orchard – he seemed to be enjoying the warm water. We have been going through wildlife feed and bird seed all winter, and the heated water tub has been popular. This winter has been hard on everyone.
Lori, somehow, when you talked of wildlife and the “heated water tub”, all I could picture was your critters leaning back in the tub with a drink in their paws! LOL!
And this is the coldest winter I can remember EVER. 😉
This too shall pass, and we will be stronger for it… I hope!
Ha ha ha!! Wouldn’t that be awesome!! A hot tub for critters! After that opossum let his rear end and tail drag in the water (he was VERY old and didn’t get around well) I decided to clean the tub out. I couldn’t have Daisy and Spirit drinking that water!
Can’t say as I blame you for that! I probably would have done the same thing!
You can’t reason with the weather and unless you are properly prepared you’re history….scary story, but I am glad you are coping so well
We’ll be fine, Anna. We are quick learners! 😀
That’s a LONG time the knee’s been out of action. I hope you’re being very careful in icy conditions. It’s actually quite fun for me to read about the extremes of cold; gives me the opportunity/excuse to write about extremes of heat here! Or rather, down south, where it’s reached over 40C for weeks at a time and fires are rampaging through our bushland.
Kate, we haven’t had any rain or snow, so there is no ice, just terrible cold. We are grateful for that anyway! I am really not happy about my knee. My Dr. seems to not really want to get me going on some sensible care, at least not quickly. In the meantime, my knee is getting more and more swollen. 😦
Now I am worried about you and the fires! We used to have some terrible fire storms in California, and yours in Australia are even worse! Be safe!
It’s not a worry. The fires are in Victoria, thousands of kilometres to the south. They have a much dryer climate (think Arizona vs Florida), and are therefore much more vulnerable to bushfires sparked by bad thunderstorms. Up here in the tropics, we’re wet and steamy, and fire finds it harder to take hold. We get more than our fair share of thunderstorms, mind you. The rains are very late this year, and we’ve been spared any flooding, which is our chief danger here.
Good then. 🙂
Love the stylish get up. It looks not unlike Mrs Tootlepedal in bed before she got her electric blanket. I am sorry that you are having such problems with the new place. I hope spring will bring a better knee and progress.
LOL!
Ah, spring. Yes, I am certain the warmer weather will improve everything, Tom. Thank you!
Yes, it’s been way to cold for these here parts. My hubby came home today and asked what I thought about Florida… 🙂 I guess being from Germany I am used to it, but I do worry about the chickens and our pipes. Went to tractor supply today to get some kind of heater to keep the chicken water from freezing and they were completely sold out! Stay warm and good luck with the pipes at the new home!
Anke, I am sorry to hear about your lack of success in finding a heated water font for your chickens. I do know your frustration, as we had the same problem when trying to find a heated water bowl for the cats up on the mountain! Keep your water running tonight and you should be fine. They had a special on WHNT tonight that covered what to do. You can probably find it and watch it on line. Good luck to you as well! HA, Florida is going to have their own problems with cold over the next few weeks! This cold wave has grown feet and it’s taking over the south!
Oh my, you ARE battling the elements 😦 I’m not gonna go on about the “cold snap” we’re currently experiencing in the Keys. I’m not.
Funny. No really! We should just be happy we aren’t any further north than we are, eh? 😉
Aw, pls pardon my flippancy. I realise you’re suffering up there, as are the poor animals, and you’ve a bad knee on top of all that! It sucks 😦
Apparently, my last comment was badly worded, because I did not consider your comments flippant. I’m sorry.
It is often hard to understand the nuances of our online communications, so believe me when I tell you, I was not offended in any way. 😀
I got that, lol, just wanted to make sure you weren’t put out by my original comment, because, on second consideration, I realise that you’re not having a ball right now, and when I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it can result in a temporary sense-of-humour failure. I didn’t really think you were at that point, just wanted to convey my sympathies for your not-so-great situation up there right now. We’re good!!!
😀
These temps are testing even the most hardy! It seems like if one solution for a problem is found, another difficulty comes along with its own challenge. Frozen pipes abound everywhere these days. Glad to hear that “cane courtesies” still exist and hope you won’t need to experience such for that much longer!!!!! Hugs…………..
Yes they are! And yet, they are providing some of the most outstanding natural phenomena. I just loved the images of the frozen cliffs and shoreline on the great lakes this morning!
And I liked these too!
http://www.sott.net/article/271531-Frozen-in-time-Michigan-lighthouses-transformed-into-stunning-giant-icicles-after-being-frozen-solid-by-storm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/09/lake-michigan-ice-balls-video_n_4570097.html
I saw those and couldn’t believe them. It’s like a winter wonderland!!
It is!
I warmed up just smiling at how cute you look in your Crazy Chicken Hat!
Yes, I made this when I was teaching preschool here about 5 years ago. The loud colors were to entertain the little kids while teacher thought she was freezing to death in the 40 degree weather… 😉
Cold means throwing sexy out the door! Keep warm and hope the knee heals soon and the cane brings all sorts of helpful courtesies 😉
Thank you, Annie! Mostly, I am trying to stay home and stay in. 😀
I hear you. The temperature is ONE (1) as I write this here in southern Virginia. It’s been super cold all winter and there seems to be no end in sight. We’re burning through firewood as fast as I can cut it and I’m having to feed extra hay. It’s the coldest winter I can ever remember.
Dreaming of spring….
Me too, on the coldest winter and dreaming of spring! Here, we are burning through the propane… and I just heard this morning we are under a state of emergency because there is a shortage of propane! Glad we filled up yesterday!
Oh, me, oh, my. It is cold where you are. And here I am trying to cope with Houston’s swings. Two days this past week I was out on the boats in bare feet and tee shirt. Just now, I’m sitting here at the computer dressed in layers with a fleece blanket around me. We’re at 30, with drizzle, rain, freezing rain and sleet. Half of the bridges in Houston are shut down because of ice, schools are closed, and all that.
People from the north think we’re wimps, but we get this so rarely we don’t have the proper equipment to deal with it. They treat the roads beforehand, and run around with rock and salt where reports of icing pop up, but it’s just not worth doing much more than telling people to stay home if they can. Surface roads aren’t so bad because the latent heat helps keep them ice-free longer, but we have so many elevated roads it’s just a mess.
So – today, it’s icy and cold. Tomorrow? The high is supposed to be 62.
I wish I could send some 62 degrees your way. Does the cold make your knee hurt more, like it can affect arthritis? I hope not. And I’m glad you’ve got another appointment on the schedule. Love your cold weather garb, too. You look like Ralphie’s little brother in “A Christmas Story”, all togged out for his snowy walk to school and barely able to move!
Linda, I totally understand about materials and machinery to deal with the cold! Those are big ticket items and you simply don’t budget for them if you never need them. Or, in this case, think you will never need them. It is just easier to call it a snow day and stay home. 😉 It is the same here for us. This weather is rare… or at least we hope it is. 😯
Good grief, Lynda – I don’t think I could survive in that weather! I start to shake and shiver when it reaches 17C here (which is about 63F). Just the thought of it getting colder than that is giving me goose-bumps!
I love your selfie – what a great pic! Please stay warm xxxx
LOL! Dianne, we were the same way when we moved here, and then it was the 40 and 50 degree temps that had us running for the parkas and gloves. Come to think of it, 40s and 50s are going to feel like a heat wave after this! 😉
Forgive me for tarting up the blog, but I swear I thought you’d put a condom on the sink!! 🙂 Using old stockings: great idea!
Love your Cold Lady of the Farmlet look 🙂
Thanks, Laurie, the extra layers are toasty. BTW, the length from the spigot to the drain is over 8 inches, plus the leftover at the drain… Oh. (Did I just say that?) 😯
Well, in the words of Rosana-Rosana Dana: “Never mind.”
Oh that made me laugh (and I’m in a meeting!). 🙂
Never mind!!
Well, you started it! 😉
True that, sister, I surely did!! 🙂
*snicker, snicker*
Was that your “outside voice”?:D
No, in the words of another blogger friend, it was my “7 year old immature boy’s voice”. (that quote was paraphrased…) 😉