We had had a small amount of snow at the end of January, but February bought some deep stuff and we have been down to minus 16 in temperature!!
Tess loves the snow and spends her days rolling around in it looking happy. Appie with his thick coat doesn't seem to mind either.
We do though, and we spent a few days with only one tap in the house working (upstairs) and no hot water. Both cars have frozen up and are undriveable, So our only mode of transport for a while was the quad until we were kindly lent a car. I will admit to being highly jealous of those fortunate enough to own a four wheel drive car - and if they weren't so horrendously gas guzzling and expensive we would consider trying to buy one. Still, at least with the quad we weren't confined to barracks and Tess loved running alongside scooping up snow in her mouth en-route to quench her run-related thirst.
I have mastered the art of multi layering in the clothes department, and under a couple of layers fleecy pajamas are part of my daily wardrobe at present. I don't care how I look frankly - all that is important is trying to keep warm.
Working at the stables in and out of the icy wind is no fun - and as all the water systems are frozen, trying to water 25 thirsty nags is a time consuming daily battle.
I am not the only one working in the icy elements. Our house is changing every day - Neil is constructing all the internal walls, so that now at last we actually have a proper sense of our layout and a clue to how it might look. Even with all the insulation, until the barn doors are shut off properly the barn is still not much more than an outside space and working inside is painfully cold.
We are getting there though. We are looking forward to the snow thawing so we can get on with stuff a little less painfully - I still wouldn't want to be stuck anywhere else!!
Hats off to Neil working in the cold...and to you, watering all those nags!
ReplyDeleteI bet Tess will be the only one disappointed when the warm weather returns...
Wow but you have done a lot of work inside the house, I am impressed. Thankfully we have not had frozen pipes but we have been completely snow bound. Our little car with no weight would have no chance on the roads here. We have not even tried to start it! The neighbours did take me shopping on Thursday, but even with their vehicle we ended up having to be pulled out in one spot!!
ReplyDeleteAppies nature is wonderful and it is good to know he is happy with the farrier working on his feet. It makes life so much easier!
Take care and keep warm, hopefully this weather is going to turn around a bit next week. Diane x
Yes, Neil is going to need a very long holiday when this next stage of work is done - perhaps Costa Rica after reading your blog has whetted our appetite for your part of the world Helen!!! xx (before you worry about visitors on your doorstep I would imagine we are much more likely to go somewhere less exotic for now!)
ReplyDeleteYou'd be very welcome!
ReplyDeleteWe now have the house in San Jose fitted with a proper bathroom rather than a shower resembling an electrified Iron Maiden, we have beds....and (not holding my breath) the kitchen units are being made....so nearly habitable!
Wow. Progress indeed!!
ReplyDeleteNeil has just said "I'd love to go to Costa Rica" about 6 times!! You never know, one day!!
Start checking the air fares....
ReplyDeleteso tempting.....!!
ReplyDeleteYou are still lucky you don't live here in Canada. Here the temp can get down to -40c. The only thing that works in our favor is that the humidity is very low in winter, so we don't feel as cold as your area.
ReplyDeleteYou've had such very cold temperatures - I can't believe it!
ReplyDeleteYou have had it hard, and you have had worse weather than us - we have not had any snow and the temperatures have been minus 10, which is cold enough, but minus 15! Crikey but that is cold! Nice to see the house coming along. It will look lovely when it is finished. I look like a waddling walrus with all my layers on, and people have remarked, come spring and the layers are shed, at how much weight I seem to have suddenly lost!
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine -40 Horst, I was just getting quite excited looking at our forcast as it is possible we may get above freezing this week!!
ReplyDeleteJan, it's been hard work I can tell you!! I hope your new hedge is surviving!!
I've been sporting the walrus look too - and I really hope people think I have lost weight when the layers come off because for once, I think I have!!!