In which "it's cold outside" is a massive understatement, and we cope

We've certainly had cold weather here before,

The person designing infographics for the Washington State Department of Transportation
is an artistic genius, seriously.

but the current cold snap seems more extreme than usual. 

Part of the problem is the contrast: it's been so unseasonably warm this season that we've actually been concerned about having insufficient chill hours for the fruit trees and bushes.

Chestnut-backed chickadee looks extra floofy in the cold. The birds like to collect seeds
from the feeders and then zoom back to the orchard trees to eat them.

I had to look up "chill hours" because it has literally never been an issue for me here in the Swamp.  I knew that sequoia and other conifer tree seeds require stratification, which is usually provided here by putting them in a damp paper towel in the refrigerator for a month or two to simulate deep winter.  We did that when Monica grew baby ancient trees during the pandemic...in fact, I think there's still a yogurt container with tree seeds in it at the back of the fridge. 

Chill hours for fruit trees is similar:  it's the amount of time spent around 45 degrees F.  Temps under 32F don't count, and if temps rise above 60F (which they have done several times this winter!) you subtract a half hour from the accumulated total of chill for each hour of warm.  If the plants have insufficient chill hours, they awaken from dormancy too soon or too confused, and they won't flower.

Basically, we need cold temperatures in winter.  However, temps this low are so unusual that I literally checked my settings to see if they were accidentally displaying in centigrade.

A high of 18F is unusual, and a low of 1* F is crazycakes!

At Haiku Farm I have a policy of not complaining about weather unless it requires a shovel...and so far, no shovel has been needed!

The quad is all suited up and charged, ready to plow away sn*w,
but it's currently too cold for that sh*t.

I've been doing this long enough that I have the tools I need.  "No bad weather, only bad clothing choices" is absolutely on-target in this situation:

Indoor outfit for cold day:  wooly socks, winter-weight fleece riding britches,
wool undershirt, wool sweater, synthetic neck gaiter

We will probably light a fire in the woodstove tonight or if the temps drop a lot more today, but the heat pump is keeping things relatively comfortable at the moment.

outdoor outfit:  all of the indoor garments PLUS
insulated overalls, down coat, wool hat, wool scarf, gloves, boots

Of course, I'm not just wandering around outdoors, I have to actually do stuff while I'm there, so I need to be able to bend my elbows and knees and fingers!  Variations on this outfit keep me relatively comfortable while doing chores in the cold.

First stop is always the large animals.

The beetpulp soaks in a heated bucket, which I keep covered with an insulated bucket.

The Dragon and her goats get several mid-day meals in cold weather.

Second breakfast is beetpulp

Lunch hay

Hooray for heated water tank!

The chickens also get several daily meals during cold weather.  In addition to "kibble" (chicken chow), we make a soup out of kitchen scraps and hot water.  

Oatmeal vegetable soup with eggshells and corn chips
 may sound strange to people, but chickens love it

New this year:  a heated water tank for chickens!

I had to teach the birds how to work the heated tank, but once one of the hens figured it out, they all copied her.

The Resolution hens are settling into their new quarters nicely.

We've been getting an egg or two each day

Read More prefers the nest inside purple mailbox

Fresh eggs are the BEST

Part of my daily routine is cleaning the animal pens, of course...and all the stall cleanings get dumped into the garden to make lovely dirt for my vegetables.  

Manure + rain + time = garden soil

The garden is mostly dormant right now. There are still some kale plants in Monica's garden, but those are for chickens because I think kale is inedible.  

Monica may be gone but her kale will probably keep sprouting forever because it is terrible.

There are also a few leeks and carrots that I can pull up when I need them, as long as the ground isn't frozen too solidly (like now).

And this morning I found something new!

Leetle teeny rhubarb

The blue sky is so welcome in winter,

Foxie Loxie's winter outfit looks a lot like his summer outfit

 and I like the part where no shovel is required.

We will need more salt for the driveway and porch soon

but sometimes I just have to spend a few minutes tending the jungle (in the bathroom) and pretending that Spring isn't 4 months away

The Bathroom Jungle includes a  Meyer Lemon, a Bergamont Lime, a Ginger plant,
some cilantro seedlings, and a few blueberry cuttings starting to root

Then, like my fox puppet,

Part of an image I created for a library social media post

I go back to my comfortable chair and read for a while.

I might not be the same level of artistic genius as the WSDOT person, but I'm
quite proud of this image that I created for the library social media.

Stay safe and warm, y'all.