How does one cope with the cold? Hmmm, with record lows in places that its more moderate and record highs in places its traditionally cold, It seems climate change is wreaking havoc amongst us. I have forgotten a few things about true cold. For one thing my lips are a mess as are my fingers. NO amount of water consumption, balm, lotion or vitamin E is saving the skin from being anything other than cracked, sore and dry.(LOVERLY!) Then there is the static. We all look like something blown off a spent dandelion. The dogs shuffle around tentatively touching their super charged noses to things. They receive a shock and then proceed to look pathetic and abused while sneezing uncontrollably. Its all very vexing. So far my cold management strategy for doing chores is, bundle up in several layers with at least one of those layers hanging past my hips. I make sure all openings through my warm layers are cinched down or stuffed full of something fleecy and warm. I don a wool hat lined with polar fleece, and drink down a cup of scalding tea before venturing forth onto the tundra. I have taken to traveling around the farm with plastic jugs full of hot water. This helps thaw things like , chicken water bowls, frozen beet pulp, cold, metal snaffles and bare fingers that have been used to pick the freshly broken ice chunks from the water trough. They do not however help much with frozen spigots or hoses. Hoses must be laid in the sun for use later in the day once some warming has taken place. I was pretty smug actually about this solar arrangement until the few coils of hose in my barn froze. They are attached directly to my water filter which makes them pretty much permanent in their placement, leaving no way of getting those particular coils into the sun. For that I'll be hooking up a heat lamp later. Then I will fill both troughs and all buckets to the rim in hopes of getting to the warmer weather promised for the end of the week before more water is needed for the animals. Sleepiness is a consequence I forgot about cold weather. I'm outside trucking around feeling full of vim and vigour then I come back into a warm house and can hardly keep my eyes open. Whats with that? Ive taken to standing, because I know once I sit, I'm a goner. Of course I may topple over with my soup spoon half way to my mouth but I guess that's a risk I'll have to take. Now, can anyone recommend gloves that actually keep the ends of your fingers warm?
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