WHAT'S THE WEATHER IN YOUR AREA? How are you preparing for a daily chore of staying warm?

[The WE2's]

Dragging our the long handles, extra fleece blankets, pulling out the flannel shirts and even a sweater for our Abby-girl!

[Becca_Anne]

It's finally getting to be seasonally appropriate weather. It has been very warm this fall. Now in the 40-60 degree range in the daytime and down into the 30's at night. I've swapped out the clothing, pulled out the down throws for the couch and winterizing. I still do need to plastic up the upstairs porch door in Ben's room but I have to remember where I put the plastic window/door kit. We keep the house at 64 so it gets chilly.

[Littlesister]

Becca Anne, that is how the weather here is doing. Down to 31* last night with a frost and then it was in the 40's today. They are saying something about a winter storm heading this way but not sure yet of what. But I am guessing we might get some snow as they got snow from DC to up North. Might be that it is heading this way. Will need to watch the weather tonight to see what is going on. 

 

WE2, I have been setting up the wood stove and I think it is getting time to light her up. I already have the blankets out and put the electric throw on the couch. Seems when I am sitting down watching tv I get cold, so I just turn on the electric blanket for a while.

[Mt_Rider]

   Winter is old news here.  DH saw ZERO degrees one early morning a few nights ago.  And already had back to back snow days/nights which produced 2 to 3 feet = each!  Thankfully, we've had a week or more of Fall temperatures and so much of the driveway has melted.      Unfortunately, I was out with the shovel today.  The heavy spade to dig up dirt to scatter-spread by slinging it over that last steep part of this driveway JUST before you come over to the table top parking area.  (where our car was stuck for 2 days til snowplow guy finally showed up.)  We'd have been in trouble this winter if not for this short reprieve to get rid of a lot of that mess. 

 

So I was trenching dirt and slinging it - there's a knack to having the spread of dirt land where you need it.....I've had a LOT of practice!!!  Over 2 decades on the mtn.  Then I took the snow shovel and tried to get just barely 2-3" removed right next to the house....so I can bring my old truck up from down by the road.  ( do not like it close to the road...vandals and such, even way in our boonies)  Don't know why S did not take a quick swipe thru there with snow plow like he usually does!   

 

Because....now I'm in adjustable bed with ice packs on my very low back/sacral area.  It was out a couple weeks ago and now again.  NOT a usual place for me to have trouble.    DH has already adjusted from skull to tailbone so hopefully it will ease off.  And hope the ride tomorrow will be ok..  2nd time recently in that area and I think I rode during the last siege with this new Thing!  Hmph!  Who else will groom this driveway if I can't???  Everything I do makes it possible to still make it UP this driveway all the way thru till May.  DH still does what he can too.  I think we should order a load of sand and tarp it.  Get our Grit Supplies from that instead of this mountain of Frozen Grit we live on.  

 

Yeah...one of these days/years this old mountain is gonna push too hard and ....we WILL move.  Not sure where we'd afford tho. 

 

MtRider   Ow! 

[Jeepers]

It's starting to get cold here. I prefer the cold weather, to a point. It always feels good after a hot summer. My body temp usually runs hot.

 

It's been down in to 30-40 at night and 40-50 during the day. So it isn't too cold yet. 

 

We had 3 days of rain and the last day it turned into snow. It was just a little bit on the grass and peoples roofs. 

 

Only thing I'm dreading is the heating bill. I hear my furnace kicking on a lot already. I think it's set on about 67 The thermostat is one of those old fashion gold colored dial ones you turn and it's sort of high up on a dark hall wall. I have trouble seeing the little numbers. As winter progresses, I'll get a flashlight and get a better look at it. I've closed a few vents in rooms I'm not using. I bought some of the shrink plastic for the windows. I'm holding off in case I want to install some blinds. But I've got it here if I need it. Would probably help if I got some curtains up. Ya think! 

 

I bought some long sleeve shirts and PJ bottoms for the first time. I don't like the feel of long sleeves and long pants or socks in bed, but I'm going to try to get over that. 

 

I prefer to wear flannel shirts over tee shirts. Easy to take off and put on since my body thermostat is so messed up IE. hot flashes. 

 

I have plenty of blankets. The one on my bed right now is a comforter that is fleece lined. It's very warm. Almost too hot. I have heating pads and a twin size electric blanket if I need them. I used them a lot in Ohio. But the windows were very bad there. Not sure how they will be here. These are 26 years old so I don't know. At least they close. That's a step up. 

 

I put the electric throw on the couch the other day. I keep four regular throws in a little cabinet in the dinning room at all time. It's just where they stay. 

 

I think I'm ready for winter weather except for maybe arranging for snow removal.  Don't know anyone out here to hire. Maybe they will find me. We'll see how that goes. I might be spending a lot of time in the house for the next few months snowed in. I'm ready for that too. Plenty to do and plenty of food.   

 

 

Forgot to add, the TV stand I bought has an electric fireplace thingy in it. I bought it for the ambiance but the reviews said it throws out great heat so that's an option too. 

 

Edited November 23 by Jeepers
Added Thought.

[MomM]

We just had new windows installed - very nice improvement !DH has finished winterizing the greenhouses. 😊

[The WE2's]

15 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

DH saw ZERO degrees one early morning a few nights ago

Brrrrr...

[The WE2's]

Our weather has been sporadic to say the least.  Right now it's in the low 50's so we did laundry and hung it out.  That finishes that chore...for awhile.  It's been very cold at night just below 30, and staying in the mid 40's...until today!  Abby-girl is outside enjoying the sun, but when it's cold, we don't leave her out very long.  She is really doing wonderfully on the CBD and her new diet of rice, green beans and canned dog food to which we add Moringa and Tumeric powders.

[Jeepers]

Go Miss Abby-Girl!!  

[Littlesister]

Winter is just starting up here.  Low 30's at night and into the 50's during the day. So far it has remained like that for a few days. We have already had a couple of frost. I have the blankets on the bed but the fleece one I have folded up at the end of the bed in case I need it. I do have a thin flannel blanket on the bed that keeps me warm but there are those nights I need the heavier one. Haven't pulled out the electric blanket but have pulled out the electric throw I use on the couch. 

[Mt_Rider]

In stark contrast to my SNOW report, I rode today and in the sun it might have been up at 60*.  In the shade with still a LOT of snow piled in the forest, yeah, chilly.  But quite nice if you dress for it - and I certainly do! 

 

As is always the case, arid and high altitude (not super high but way higher than lowlanders get up to   ...well over 8K feet )  we have this thing about temperature.  In the sun, we heat up fast.  But in shade and especially nighttime....   The temp can drop 50*  or more in a few hours.  That's often the cause (SURPRISE! )    of 'flat-lander' folks getting caught out and needing rescue.  Pretty much every week - like tonite - they go get someone who might have been hiking today in a light jacket but in the shade of a cliff, trees, or after 4pm.....the dude is FREEZING.....heading for hypothermia.  Unfortunately, that really affects thinking so dude is befuddled and maybe doesn't know he's getting frostbite and YEAH, NEED TO CALL HOME...if you can get signal.  And DO NOT separate from your group. 

 

They found the one tonite and brought him in with minor chill effects.    He'll know better now and spread his story around too...

 

Lions and wolves (reintroduced in a few counties) and....well the bears should be in or close to hibernation.  Snakes are in hibernation!  {good riddance!}  If you have the privilege of seeing one of the moose that have been coming back, stand very still behind a tree or rock and wait til the moose leaves.  They don't see well but are notably CRANKY!  Not to mention HUGE with "canoe paddles" for antlers for a long reach.  They are around here .. a few.  DH saw one very near my parent's former house.  In a small town!  

 

Just a question:  Does anyone else get the idea that we're experiencing a "rewilding" ....the animals that would not be seen in small towns, etc are being seen more frequently?  Off topic but...   

 

MtRider  

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, glad you were able to get your ride. I know it helped you a lot.   We also are seeing a lot of wildlife around here but for a different reason.  They keep cutting down the trees for cement. The bears and such have nowhere to go. So, it is not surprising anymore to see a bear in your back yard looking for food. Not to mention opossum, fox and other animals. The deer also are showing up in people's yards now. No where for them to go. They are getting ready to cut down the Forrest down the road from me. So, we will be seeing more animals around our neighborhood.  I will be getting a place in garage set up in the spring for the 2 trash cans to put inside. Just in case bear start hovering over our neighborhood. They will get into the trash cans. Take away the food source like bird feeders and such and the bears will move on hopefully to find woods somewhere else.  

 

Today feels like high 50's or maybe 60*.  But only in the sun. 

[Jeepers]

I have no idea what the wildlife will be like here. Probably the usual raccoon, possums, groundhogs, deer, rabbits and rodents. Hope there are no woodpeckers. I had my fill of those destructive little jack hammers. 

 

In Ohio the deer came right up to our doors and windows. One had a baby right beside my fence that I nearly ran over on my lawn mower. I saw it just in time. They lost a lot of their fear of people. They are beautiful but caused a lot of car accidents. Some fatal. In our neighborhood, they would actually stand at the side of the street and let the cars pass by before they crossed the street. Darnedest thing to see but its true. On the highway, they just darted out. We started having a lot of foxes too. I had a woods behind my house so there were a lot of wild-ish animals back there. I never heard any coyotes though. 

 

I brought my trash bin inside the garage because of the weather. Probably a good idea if I had bears around here. I noticed most people keep their bins outside all the time here. I'm thinking they don't have room in their garage since most people have 2 cars to pull in. I only have the one car. Those bins are huge. 

[The WE2's]

Today it's been in the 50'ish range, and Abby-girl is outside supervising her poppa work on getting the riding mower charged up so he can start it since he did some MASSIVE work on it, but at least now he's got something to relieve the work on his body when he mows.  He doesn't have much trouble mowing my old house or his old house...yes, we still own them.  Someday...sigh.  Utilities and taxes eat our lunch every year but we have to keep this, the homestead up and running on a daily basis. He is still picking up some odds and ends work that helps us set back a few dollars for real estate tax time. 

The semi-ferral tom cat that adopted us 3 years ago is loving his "cat" house that hubby built for him.  Insulated and filled with straw.  He loves us too!  He had a horrible wound on the side of his neck that we figure he got into a fight or ??? and we have finally made some headway into it's healing.  I fixed up some tuna and sardines with Amoxicillin and he's been eating that for about 3 weeks and it looks like we're seeing "skin" now instead of raw meat.  He even let hubby scratch his back awhile ago...LOL  As for me?  He's always ready for me pet him, rubs around my ankles etc. LOL 

I think our wonderful "indian summer"? is going to end next week though, they are forecasting winter temps. 

[Mt_Rider]

Glad for your kitty, WE2!  Our old dear became much less feral after something got a pretty good hold on him.  His wound was in his side and I poured Betadine water right in it.  Gave him a mostly safe place on the porch and provided food and water out of the "Max-donald window".  He even had to evac with us during the wretched fire and we'd never actually picked him up before.  I think he kissed the ground when we let him out of the car, after weeks of evac. 

 

MtRider  ...  I'm tired today...

[Littlesister]

Glad your kitty is doing better WE2.  

 

Weather is getting up to 60* today. I will take that. 

[The WE2's]

Edited November 25 by The WE2's
Here's our Bootsy on top of his house

[The WE2's]

Today is chilly and windy, and very cloudy.  Keeping me and Abby-girl inside, and Bootsy finally came out of his house and guess he needed to take care of "business"?  He's spending his nights in his "cat house" and seems to enjoy "sleeping in"...LOL  Hubby got the tire fixed for the riding mower, but has some work to continue doing for a customer.  He'll have to jump start it since the battery was down and the jump battery was down also.  Need that jump box big time for winter...mainly on his truck.

[Jeepers]

WE2's. That sounds like my house. Every year one of the riding mower's tire goes flat and every year we either have to jump start it or buy a new battery. Usually both. By 'we' i mean son.

[Littlesister]

Love the kitty. He's a cute one. Just sitting on that box enjoying himself. 

 

I hope we will have warm weather tomorrow; I need to go out to shed to get the Christmas decorations out before the tree gets here. Yep, I decided to buy a new tree this year. 

[Jeepers]

I'm not decorating this year. Nothing new for me. I really dislike the holidays. I thought about seeing if a wreath would fit between the storm door and the regular front door. But I don't want to draw any more attention to my lousy yard.  

 

It started raining just as I was coming home from running errands. It's almost cold enough to turn to snow but it isn't predicted. 

[themartianchick]

I will decorate a little bit for Christmas at dad's house, but it won't involve a tree. I will just bring out some red and white things and maybe some snowmen. Our temps have been hovering around 39 degrees  at night and in the high 40s during the day. Today was beautiful and sunny. We don't do anything special for keeping warm in the winter. We have programmable thermostats and they help to save us a lot of money. We each have a throw on our favorite chairs in the livingroom and the porch is kept stocked with firewood. Hubby has been patient with the fact that I get hot flashes and tolerates an overnight temperature of about 58 degrees in the house. He shivers under a blanket or two, while I use only a sheet and stick one leg out from under it to "regulate" my body temp.

[Mother]

@Jeepers  I love Christmas and lights but I rarely decorate any longer.  We live way back in a lane on a country road and we no longer have the celebrations here so no worries about decorating for family or?  But, being more visible to the neighbors you might want to check out what the neighbors do about Christmas decorations and try to follow suit if it seems appropriate. That way you show the neighbors you aren’t anti community minded. You never know when you might need to rely on your neighbors for survival.  Maybe let your DGS help you decorate your mail box.  That would draw attention away from the yard.    

[The WE2's]

Haven't decided yet if I will clear the fireplace mantle and put up our digital tree and scented candles etc.  I love Thanksgiving and refuse to do anything until the first of December...just me.

[Necie]

Our temps have been up and down. Today was up— 57. The next couple of days are going to be in the low 40s, then the bottom falls out. Forecast shows below freezing for at least 2 weeks. So, if it snows... it won’t melt. 
 

We heat with wood... mostly. The furnace does work, but it’s a gas guzzler. Installed in 1971. Wood has been ready since spring of ‘23. We go through 6-8 cords a year. Wood for next year (‘25-‘26) is split and stacked. DH will cut, split, and stack wood this winter for the following year (‘26-‘27). We’ve had the wood stove going off and on for the last month. Big old blue granite ware pot on top full of water cuz wood heat is DRY. 
 

I’ve changed our bedding. Flannel sheets for winter. We are both blanket hogs, so we each have our own. My main blanket that I use all year is a sherpa/fleece type on the bottom, comforter on top. In the winter, I add a big, heavy quilt that my mom made me. DH uses a fuzzy type all year, then adds a heavy crocheted afghan that I made him. We have other blankets, afghans and throws all over the living room—thrown over the backs of the couch and chairs. 
 

I do a lot more baking, canning and cooking in the winter. Helps to heat the kitchen. If I need to make soap/lotion on extremely cold days (in the basement), I use a buddy heater or an electric space heater. 
 

I just posted this on FB... cuz a lot of the time it’s 80*+ when we go to bed. I’ll turn the fan on and be mostly NOT under my blankets. If it’s REALLY hot, we’ll even crack the window for a bit. By the time we get up, it can be 45-50* (or worse 🥶). I stay snuggled under my cozy blankies and refuse to get up til DH gets the fire going. If he thinks it’s too cold before morning (not likely 😂), sometimes he’ll get up and kick the furnace on for a little bit.