BRRRRrrr!!~! 35 below Zero

AAAARGH!!!~! Cabin fever is setting in. Happens every January. The holidays pass, and you step into the first month of a new year and like magic the search is on for that "January thaw". Yeah, we get one if we're lucky. It's almost like Gods holdin a carrot out there,,,,Sayin,,, "wont be long kids,,, here's just a hint of spring to tide you over"' The sun comes out, and the eve's begin to drip and the day is so bright that it blinds you. The young are outdoors, shedding coats, basking in the new warmth of a clear open sky. But Not us old guys. We know the drill. We've long since dropped the excitement, knowing full well its a ploy to shed the long undies. In a very short time the North Wind blasts back in with the force of demons sending a Bone shakin chill that'l take the white outta Hens teeth. . And winter is back in full force with the promise of full residence for at least two more months.

It's cold out there, weatherman's sayin stay home. One short look at that cold gray sky tells the story. Winds is outta the north with a cut that equals 35 below zero. That means if you were to toss up a hot cup of coffee, nothing would come down. As the cold would vaporize the contents. A man outside with out proper cover has about 7 minutes to get inside, or He's dead. Folks have been found froze solid on their front lawn for lack of good judgement. A young boy, released from school early yesterday fell through the ice on a creek then proceeded towards home. luckily he had a cell phone because as he began to lose consciousness he called 911 and was able to be reached before he was killed by the cold. you don't mess with Ma Nature. we do everything up here that anyone else does, but with respect of Her laws. the ice reached 4 and 5 foot thick on the lakes. but river currents thin it down considerably. And those who ice fish better know the area. A fall through the ice on the main channel is almost always fatal. But the fishin's great and a wonderful pastime if your dressed properly. And it's tough to beat the taste of a fresh catch through the ice.

But tonight a warm fire crackles happily just behind me. it's warmth a soothing blanket against my back. The weather outside doesn't look so bad from here. Think I'll try to write another post

THE SEASON'S CHANGE

The press of the mid day sun feels wonderful as it warms my back. A crisp Autumn breeze swirls in from the north gathering the last of the dying leaves and spreads them gently over the ground below. . The once plush green of the Garden now a mix of depleted rows, Dried stems mottled vines. The tree’s lay bare of fruit and leaf. Her branches stretching skyward as if to capture those last rays while a red squirrel chatters a season’s close.
But the mornings bring a winter sky a cold color of gray hiding the sun with a chill that reaches to the bone. A blanket of White frost lays heavy, smothering the dying green and one can almost hear the cries as each piece of summers green succumbs to the killing cold to a seasons end.
Folks who claim there is no God amaze me so. For to watch the progression of seasons change gives very little doubt to His presence or His power.
Small animals gather food and begin to store. Birds gather and soon leave for a warmer climate. Even the fish in my pond feed aggressively, then begin to transition into a mode requiring no food and very little movement even before the first ice skims the water surface. Plants finish their cycle and go dormant hiding from the frigid winter Weather. Even the huge Oak and Maple shed their leaves and conform to an awesome plan set
Forth by the King of Kings.
The “frosty Mornings of late Autumn are conditioning, and soon will be replaced with the real deal as Arctic cold move down from the north. Fall wardrobes will not be enough and caps will become a necessity to capture body heat in order to stay warm. A leisure summer stroll out to the car will soon become a mad dash to a running auto with a heater blasting to avoid the cutting cold. Vehicles, needing maintenance, or just tired from use will refuse to function as the bone chilling cold takes its toll. And layers of much heavier materials will now replace the thin summer clothing.
The Ice on the lakes will reach 4 foot thick, and cars will drive out to a spot and drill a hole to fish. I have fond memories of fishing with my dad. Building huge fires on the ice and roasting cheese sandwiches on a forked willow sticks over the open flames. One time a Beaver stuck his head up through my fishin hole and scared the daylights out of me. We’ve learned survival up here and we teach our kids. If you’re caught outside you only have a few minutes to live if you don’t stay warm. So you need to know how to build a fire or burrow down into the snow. An Armistice day storm a few years ago left many dead as the weather changed midday stranding folks outdoors. Some were found standing dead next to small tree’s that were the only obvious cover found.
You travel prepared with blankets, fuel for heat, and a full fuel tank. If you stall you stay with the car and wait for rescue. Starting out on your own can be your death. I remember a Stormy Christmas Eve when our son was stranded at a friend’s house on a farm. My wife was so upset and worried that I set out to get him. The main roads were open but the side roads plugged with snowdrifts. So I walked in the last half mile. The snow was blowing hard and the winds were howling. I could see a dim glow from the house lights so I just kept trudging towards it. Suddenly I fell through the snow ending up some 10 feet below where I was. Snow had drifted up the side of a stalled road Grader and I had walked up and off the other side. Snow had completely covered the huge machine. I got my Son and Christmas was continued with him there with us. There could have been a tragic end. But I am a seasoned hunter and fishermen, spending many hours in the snow or I would not have even considered that journey.
A year ago I spent October in California. It was a 60 degree morning, sun was shining as a set on my daughters patio in a T shirt drinking coffee. Folks were beginning their day and I saw many wearing coats n gloves, one young man blowing leaves in coat and stocking cap and gloves. I remember thinking; these guys need to visit Minnesota once to really experience the cold.
For 60 years I’ve watched the seasons, as one gives way to the next. I’ve thought about goin south ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, But,,,well maybe next year
SSNUFFY

Someone told the Birds

It's October 14th, and Fall is really "falling". The hummingbirds packed their little suitcases two weeks ago. And I dare to say that by now they are feelin the warm winds in a distant Southern hidaway. Amazing lil buggers, Cant imagine those lil wings whippin all the way to better weather. But they go a milion miles an hour so it's probably just a short flight.
Black birds flock and chatter high in the trees by the hundreds , Their gathering a sound reminder that much is about to change. If you listen close you can almost hear the banter as they plan their route and work out the details of this years departure.
Warm mornings give way to a familiar chill that turns the leaves and shocks the fruit tree's. Very soon the cold will come to finish off the gardens. And The old maple struggles as leaves fall like tears to cover the frosty grass.
Many are the signs to signal a strong season change. Old Man winter stands a distance away, his staff poised, ice forming on his gray beard, While a rye smile plays on his weather beaten face.
Our chance is gone, and its time to pay the piper. We should have booked a flight with the birds. but it's to late. I see him standing there, waiting, watching as I gather this and cover that and look to chores that need to be done yesterday. always keeping an eye to the North constantly listening for the roar of the wind and the cutting cold. Memories of bone chilling days and gray winter sky's push at me to hurry. All must be in place before that first snow covers up the green of summer. For it will be a long several months before the grass returns. Snow is beautiful . What an awesome site to look out on a heavy snowfall with your back to a crackling fire. To feel that warmth and know what lies just beyond that window pane is a conquering moment. This is Minnesota, and its the norm. But im never ready. I'll be outside hurrying still with frozen hands as the snow falls around my wet tenny's. Or under the hood in a last ditch attempt to winterize the car.
Winter here in the Northland needs to be respected. For the cold is a killer too. Death can come in as little as 8 minutes if the body's not covered. And folks have been found 6 ft outside their door frozen in the snow. Ice fishing is popular here. And the ice will reach 4 ft thick. At 40 below zero a cup of hot coffee tossed up into the air will dissappear as vapor. And snomobiling in a valley with 6 ft deep snow is a sight and experience hard to imagine.
Today we wait, enjoying the last warm fall afternoons, knowing that very soon all will change. hoping for another couple weeks. The color in the hills weakens as more and more bare limbs show through and a cold gray sky confirms the seasons end. all thats left is to conceed that Winter has arrived