Wintry Weather — sort of


I have always viewed “winter” as starting about Thanskgiving, or maybe a week later, when anywhere other than in Florida, where I’ve lived.

I know that the actual season begins with the winter solstace, later in December, but the weathe distinctiveness lulls me to the Winter feel early. As it does for many, I suspect.

We’ve had many nights so far around freezing, or below or right above. Higher than that as well. Days might get around 60, but mostly just above 50 degrees F. the last several or more days. I am not being precise, for all days flow into one, with the exception of Sunday, for me. ๐Ÿ™‚ Memory of temperature fluctutions then is not precise. One day if I get my wish of a digital weather station to mount around the house, then I’ll be able to easily be precise. For now then, it’s blurry ideas.

The most prolific thing about the weather is the temperature the house. We aren’t using our central heat system this year, taking things more natural instead. If it’s cloudly it’s very chilly inside. I keep a fire going most of the time on those days. Most every day demands a fire in the fireplace at least half the morning, if not longer. Evening time a fire is useful too. We turned our living room into our dining room. It is SO nice eating by the fireplace for dinner, lunch, or breakfast, fire or no fire inside it.

We have one small portable electric heater we can move around to different places. It takes the edge of coolness off when need be. Like bathrooms in the AM. ๐Ÿ™‚

I’m liking this all so far. It’s far more romantic and feels connected to previous generations. I do still use electricity, of course, but am wanting to grow less dependant on it. I sure need it for this medium, but less for others as time will hopefully allow. I’d love to have a woodburning stove, as well as a gas or electric cooktop. To bake in a woodburning stove is my dream. To use it in the cool weather, in particular for cooking and warming the kitchen. If we get to build our next house, we’ll include such a plan to accomodate my ‘dream’ kitchen. That’s not the all of it, just a part. I won’t wax on about my “dream kitchen” right now.

I love building and maintaining the fireplace fires. They are easy to do, but sometimes a challenge to start, depending on the wood. The crackle and occasional ‘pop’ of the wood burning is soothing, the flames as well.

Another aspect of it is coming close to natural human stuff. Flame for heat. It brings up pictures of Hell as well. The phrase “Fanning the Flames” take on new meaning if you work with fires. And Christmas songs come to mind.

We are on a countdown to official Winter. And once that hits, it’ll practically be Christmas Eve.

For us in Georgia, that then means another week until New Years, then a month of possible ice storms, maybe snow. Then the first sign of Spring will appear in February sometime. [whisper]It’s not far off![/whisper]

This is why I can enjoy Winter-like time so much, perhaps, it’s limited in days, unlike some places up North, which can have Winter stretch out far into the days when we are harvesting something from the garden, planted as a seed there that Spring. ๐Ÿ™‚

So for now, the days get shorter, the weather gets colder.


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