Baby, it's cold outside ... and inside

I’m not sure what it’s like to live at the North Pole, but it can’t be very different than it is here in Texas these last few weeks. I’m not new to the area. I grew up just south of the Red River … where the wind comes whistling down from Canada, unhampered by large mountains, tall trees or skyscrapers. Nothing stops the cold wind from skimming over the Red River and shrieking into North Texas when it is cold outside. We have summer from early May to late September. We have spring in April and fall in October. The rest of the year is winter, with an occasional warm day so that we won’t get spoiled. 

The sun shines most days … like today. Outside, it looks like it is mid-April. The wind is blowing, and the twenty degrees on the thermometer has a wind chill of minus ten. 

I went outside this morning to see why the birds haven’t been eating the food in the new feeder. They can’t. If they manage to land on the brass bar of the feeder, their poor little feet will freeze. But don’t worry. They would have to be circus-birds to manage it in that wind. One poor little cardinal blew by the feeder looking longingly at the black sunflower seeds within. I’ve had the same feeling passing the donut shop. I tipped the feeder over and spilled some of the seeds on the ground. At least they won’t have to hit a moving target. 

It seems most people around here are taking in their dogs and cats. Their pictures are on Facebook, snuggling down on any blanketed surface. One of my “friends” said that the way to find a chihuahua was to drop a blanket on the floor. That goes for towels, coats, pantyhose, and laundry. Anything that’s warm from my body or the dryer is fair game. My coat looks like it has been dusted with short black hairs. I found my nightgown dragged into the office and fluffed into a tight little wad on which lay two cold dogs. 

I’m trying not to use too much natural gas to heat my house, so I turned down the thermostat during the last warm snap. I’d read that the optimum sleeping temperature was sixty-two degrees. That might be in the summer … in Florida. Last night, I got up around three as per usual and my blanket crackled when I threw it back. I guess the frost from my breathing had frozen. The sound woke the dogs, and they scurried over into my warm, empty spot. When I returned to bed, I had to move them over to make room for myself. It’s funny how much weight a cold dog can gain when she is threatened with being moved to the other side of the bed. I could have used a good forklift or block and tackle.

Summer will come. I’ll complain about the sweat running down my brow, and I’ll turn down the thermostat to sixty-two and complain about the air conditioning bills. It’s hard to be happy with the weather in North Texas. Maybe tomorrow will be better.