The last time we had temperatures at -20F° was back in the first week of January of 2014. Eleven years ago. According to my blog anyway. The weatherman on the news channel is saying we had these cold temperatures six years ago.
Tuesday it was -12°F with a windchill (feels like). Monday we at least had sunshine the entire day. Tuesday it was dark and cloudy with a bit of sun here and there.
Today we didn't quite hit the -20 mark, but we did hit -5°F with a windchill of -19°F. Thankfully, water is running, as we let the faucets drip overnight.
We restocked on bird seed, and this one has a lever that will shut the feed area if a squirrel tries to hop on for a meal.
Garden prep:
I had some time to go through my garden planting plan for this year, and I realized we did not plant any type of pea last year. We never got the pea fence back up.
What are you gardeners planting for sugar snap peas? I am considering trying something new. A snap pea that is perfect for a summer cold snack and/or cooked as well.
More sunshine and more animal tracks.
No sign of the cat this week so far. More tracks close to the house, which we think is from a fox. Not sure on the ones in the photo without going out to take a closer look. We've seen squirrel and rabbit tracks lately.
Our first puzzle activity. We just opened the box this week. I need to pay attention to the size of the puzzle next time. The puzzle is huge! A $20 puzzle I got for $10.00. Is that a good deal? It's 1000 pieces.
I don't often visit the dollar store, but if I am in the area, I do stop in for restocking some things. I picked up a few word search books this trip as well as a few hair barrettes. The word search books come in handy for waiting room activities, when I don't feel like reading, or crocheting. The word search books, and puzzle, are also just a small part of my "stay off the internet/phone" plan for the year.
Not pictured, I also bought for the chickens - 3 cheap dog food bowls for treat bowls, and feed scoop.
Also not pictured, for homemade salves/lotions - bought 1 cheap spatula.
With the puzzle now in motion, we have lots of options during these cold cold nights. Many businesses closed today, including our local trash pick up. Many people were still required to go to work, but I think all schools are closed today.
Speaking of puzzles, I wanted to buy one at the used book store last weekend, and my husband said I should wait until we get this current one done. I see that they already sold the one I wanted, so when in doubt, just buy it.
Stay warm, and seek joy and joyful people in your life. I know this post is all over the "map" today, but I was reading a book that talked about finding joy in everyday things. Doing dishes, spreading peanut butter on bread, doing laundry, etc. I never sought out joy in any of my every day chores (intentionally). This year is different.
You only get this day to experience once. What "fun" will you have in your day today? My chickens will get some fun today. I bought them a new snack mix, and I will be adding a sprinkle of hot red pepper flakes to help keep their innards warm.
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Blessings and hugs,
Betsy