nature's sedative the crisp rime that brines stillness ice that pricks with sound like a deer's ears to footsteps remnants of tranquility
This week has been another frigid one! Driving to work yesterday, I watched the thermometer plummet all the to -26 degrees Fahrenheit before creeping back up to hover around -16 when I arrived on campus. Even though I don’t work in a large city by any means, there are apparently enough bodies and concrete keep it a solid ten degrees warmer than the hilly countryside.
It was the kind of drive, as I told my students, where your vehicle makes all sorts of agitated noises at the stoplight and you just hope you don’t stall out right there in front of a long line of traffic. Machinery doesn’t function as well in the cold. And maybe we don’t either. I noticed that everyone was more still and quiet yesterday, as if we were saving our energy for shivers and couldn’t spare any for conversation or extraneous motion.
My kids, however, are immune to this situation and instead bounced around the entire house at top volume last night. Cabin fever has reached its peak. Fortunately, I can see warmer temps on the horizon, so we’ll see if that levels everyone out.
How do you cope with cold weather? Do you hibernate like my students or become a wildling like my children? 😀
Words and Coffee Writing 
I hate the cold! Now that I’ve been in SoCal for decades, even 50 is too cold. I don’t miss my Chicago days… 🥶🥶🥶
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would trade an entire tray of fresh-baked cookies for a 50 degree day right now. 😀 We definitely adjust to different locations, but even this is too cold for this Wisconsin girl.
LikeLike
I love the description “ice that pricks with sound/like a deer’s ears to footsteps” That is exactly the experience!! We are warming today – finally out of single digits (14F)…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks! We’re getting there!
LikeLike
When the sunlight is minimal, I tend to try to hibernate. When the sunlight is bright, even if it’s cold, I enjoy the day – driving in a controlled climate, chuckle. I’ll hurry from my car to the next warm place. Not happy to be outside for any reason, and SO thankful that I don’t have to do snow removal at all (garage parking, and apartment living).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, that is ideal if you can quickly transition from one warm place to the next! We have an attached garage that I usually park in, which has been really nice. It’s the shoveling the driveway and steps and going from cars to buildings slowly with little people that freezes me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hibernate. I need light to function well. (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m the same way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is _really_ cold weather! No idea how I’d deal with it. Have travelled to cold countries only for brief moments, and I’ve found that I rather enjoyed making snowballs for the first time and such, lol. I feel like I’ve been chatting about cold weather for a while now on your blog. Hope it becomes warmer for you soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to say the snow is fun at first! Every year, I do get excited for the first snowfall, and possibly the second and third as well, but it does seem like it’s been cold for a while here– haha! Winter is long up north. Maybe just two more months until we get to go outdoors without a coat; that will be thrilling when it hits!
LikeLike
Sounds almost like The North in Game of Thrones then 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hah, there’s totally a resemblance! My husband sent me a text back in November with a particularly bleak weather forecast and the caption: “WINTER IS COMING!”
LikeLike