BRRRRRrrrrrRRRRRRrrrrRRR!!!!

It's cold out there. It's -9ºF. Let me say that again so you don't misunderstand. It's minus 9 degrees! Since it's 3 am, hopefully that's as cold as it gets. Earlier this evening it was spooky, you could literally see the thermometer dropping by the minute.

Normally we get extreme cold (although usually not this cold!) OR we get snow but more moderate cold. Not both. But it's been snowing pretty good off and on since yesterday. Probably because of the temperature, this snow sparkles. I don't know when I've seen such sparkly snow!



It's so cold it looks like shimmery soap bubbles!

Or a bazillion jars of irridescent glitter! Pretty. But too cold to enjoy for more than a few moments. I only managed these photos because I was forced to bundle up to take a certain chihuahua out to the woodshed to pee. She refused the yard and I can't say I blame her this time.

The only cat that's braved the snow at all is our Maizie, who comes from many generations of ranch barn cat stock and prefers to be outside almost all the time. Even she only went out for about an hour. I'm so grateful we have no outdoor animals anymore. I remember years ago when we'd get this sort of cold we'd have to drag all sorts of rabbit cages into the kitchen, hay scattered all over the floor by morning, fuzzy big dogs all over the place.




Green Mary transcended the bitter cold. She looked as content out there as she does in the autumn storms or summer heat. Although I'm not about to attempt to emulate her skill at ignoring the physical weather, perhaps she has a lesson to teach about how being centered in oneself helps one weather life's storms. At least that's what she said to me when I snapped this photo of her tonight.

To see some photos I took inside today, click on over to Laume's Studio.