The sur-reality of it all
Today, I'm sitting in front of my back window...the one that looks into the backyard. One of my most favorite places to be, because on any given day I can watch the dogs do their thing, whether it's playing or doing what needs to be done. I can sit and watch on warm days, the girls, when they're here, play outside with their Aunt, or watch the birds at the feeders. Houston, I have to say has some pretty fantastic weather, for the most part. Including today.
So, it's January 16, 2018. In Houston. The city known for all four seasons occurring in a 24 hour period. Today, we only get one season. Arctic. Yup...it's stinking cold out there. The Weather Channel says it's 27 degrees out there, with a "feels like" factor of 16. That's 16 degrees, Fahrenheit. Earlier this morning, we had freezing rain. The 'tink, tink, tink' of the pellets on my kitchen window told me that it wasn't snow. To be honest, I thought some vine on the side of the house had frozen and the wind was blowing it against the window pain. I pulled back the curtain to see little, bitty pieces of ice bouncing off the glass. Cool!
As I watch my Facebook news feed, I am entertained by the never-ending exclamations of the cold here in Houston. After all, during Christmas it was close to 70 degrees here...people were wearing flip-flops, shorts and sweatshirts. I'm figuring it was a nod to the fact that it's supposed to be winter. Sunday last, I giggled at a woman I saw walking down the street in our subdivision wearing a parka. It was 49 degrees and no wind. I was wearing a blazer.
Now, understand that I once lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Helena, Montana, two pretty doggone cold places. Dinos froze to death in Montana, I'm pretty sure of that. The year my Mouse was born, we experienced -35 degrees, before the wind kicked up. My nose froze completely shut, and it was blanketed in a heavy wool scarf. That, my friends, is cold. Took me a while to thaw out from just a five minute stint outside. So imagine my amusement seeing this woman in the down parka. My quiet comment, which Mouse heard and giggled at, was, 'weenie.'
Which brings me back to today, and my backyard. The hummingbird feeder and it's syrup is completely frozen. There are ice-sickles hanging off the seed feeders. Not big ones, mind you, but enough to let you know that it's not tropical temperatures out there. And the lawn? White with patches of green defiantly poking out here and there. Gone are the ice pellets, they've been replaced with big, fat, fluffy snowflakes here and there. The roof of my house is covered in white, except where the chimney is, and it is proudly showing off it's asphalt tiles. Yup, the fireplace is going, and ten animals are gathered in front of it, all soundly sleeping in the warmth that's emanating from it.
Me? I'm enjoying the quiet beauty in front of me, and the soft snores from at least one dog and one kitten. Personally, I don't mind a day or two during the season we call winter down here showing up with some snow flurries. After all, that's what happens normally in the winter time, and it reminds me that God likes to see His Children enjoy His creation, even if they do live in Houston. ;)
So, it's January 16, 2018. In Houston. The city known for all four seasons occurring in a 24 hour period. Today, we only get one season. Arctic. Yup...it's stinking cold out there. The Weather Channel says it's 27 degrees out there, with a "feels like" factor of 16. That's 16 degrees, Fahrenheit. Earlier this morning, we had freezing rain. The 'tink, tink, tink' of the pellets on my kitchen window told me that it wasn't snow. To be honest, I thought some vine on the side of the house had frozen and the wind was blowing it against the window pain. I pulled back the curtain to see little, bitty pieces of ice bouncing off the glass. Cool!
As I watch my Facebook news feed, I am entertained by the never-ending exclamations of the cold here in Houston. After all, during Christmas it was close to 70 degrees here...people were wearing flip-flops, shorts and sweatshirts. I'm figuring it was a nod to the fact that it's supposed to be winter. Sunday last, I giggled at a woman I saw walking down the street in our subdivision wearing a parka. It was 49 degrees and no wind. I was wearing a blazer.
Now, understand that I once lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Helena, Montana, two pretty doggone cold places. Dinos froze to death in Montana, I'm pretty sure of that. The year my Mouse was born, we experienced -35 degrees, before the wind kicked up. My nose froze completely shut, and it was blanketed in a heavy wool scarf. That, my friends, is cold. Took me a while to thaw out from just a five minute stint outside. So imagine my amusement seeing this woman in the down parka. My quiet comment, which Mouse heard and giggled at, was, 'weenie.'
Which brings me back to today, and my backyard. The hummingbird feeder and it's syrup is completely frozen. There are ice-sickles hanging off the seed feeders. Not big ones, mind you, but enough to let you know that it's not tropical temperatures out there. And the lawn? White with patches of green defiantly poking out here and there. Gone are the ice pellets, they've been replaced with big, fat, fluffy snowflakes here and there. The roof of my house is covered in white, except where the chimney is, and it is proudly showing off it's asphalt tiles. Yup, the fireplace is going, and ten animals are gathered in front of it, all soundly sleeping in the warmth that's emanating from it.
Me? I'm enjoying the quiet beauty in front of me, and the soft snores from at least one dog and one kitten. Personally, I don't mind a day or two during the season we call winter down here showing up with some snow flurries. After all, that's what happens normally in the winter time, and it reminds me that God likes to see His Children enjoy His creation, even if they do live in Houston. ;)
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