I'm Freezing

OK, just remember that this is Texas and cold is relative.  For this part of Texas we don't get a lot of really cold weather.  Yet here we are over 48 hours into a cold snap that has not been above freezing the entire time.  There is about another 24-36 hours of below freezing temps in the forecast.  While it does happen here on occasion we are talking years between these long cold spells.  I am even cold in the house and I rarely ever venture outside except to let my dog out for a very few minutes.  I don't really mind a little cold once in a while, but I hate this.  And it hasn't even gotten as cold as they predicted.  I'm OK with that.  In fact, it is about 10 degrees warmer than their predictions.  There has been so much cloud cover it has kept it from getting that cold, thankfully.  YEah, no sun since Sunday makes everything so dreary.

We have to take precautions here since we aren't really built for these extended periods of below freezing.  Pipes in outside walls will and do freeze.  It has happened to us a few times, but nothing burst.  We leave doors to rooms that normally are closed, i.e. wash room, open to keep some warmer air in there to keep the pipes protected.  Also some cabinet doors under sinks are left open.  We also insulate the outside faucets/hose bibs and let them drip to keep water moving.  That has failed on some occasions when it gets in the very low teens for long periods.  WE will have lost numerous plants that we have in pots and even some flower beds, and that with having them covered and some lights under there for heat.  It has been cold for too long for them to survive.  That means more yard work next Spring that I normally wouldn't have to do.

90 miles south of me a friend has icicles coming off his roof.  That is unheard of in the South Texas Brush country.  I am about done with this winter stuff.  I am not so sure winter is done with me.  Yes, I know complaining about the weather is not productive, but it is what we do here in this part of Texas.  If we aren't complaining about the cold weather we are complaining about the hot weather.  When in reality we don't really have it so bad either way.  It ain't Minnesota cold here ever, and it ain't Arizona hot here for as long as they have it.  But it does get hotter than a lot of places along with oppressive humidity coming in off the coast.  In the long run, I think the weather here is pretty good.  So what am I complaining about?  Well, it's Texas, it's what we do apparently.

Happy Trails