Attack of winter

A few days ago, winter finally arrived. What an attack it was! Only last week it was raining and pouring and now we’ve had to take temperatures 20 degrees colder (35 in Fahrenheit). The thermometer suddenly dropped to around -15°C (5°F) and has stayed there for days.

The north-facing house wall is covered in ice crystals.

They reported in the news that it will only take a week for the human body to get used to this kind of a change. Had they met me they would have made it clear they were talking about the average person’s ability to adjust. I am afraid I will never be average when it comes to standing the cold.

At least we now have some snow, which is a welcome consolation. Even a very thin layer will make a big difference. Not to mention the sun that has recently been reminding us of its existence daily!

Do you see the skull formed by the roots of a tree that is no longer there?

Despite the frosty weather, water is still running from the surrounding fields to the creek flowing through our plot. A neighbour who knows about these things told me that soil will freeze only for the depth of two centimetres per day. So even in these kinds of conditions it will take a while for the frost to reach the subsurface drainage system.