baby, it’s cold inside

After a rough November, which I will parse momentarily, Jude and I awoke this first December 2022 morning to temperatures of -7 C. (+20 F.) outside, +7 (+42) inside. We are pioneering types who grew up in Minnesota and Missouri respectively, but goddamn. We heat with wood and usually don’t add to the stove after 8 p.m. or so, because we’re bundled up in the living room through the evening and sleep with two big dogs.

I heroically volunteered to start the fire, primarily because Jude does everything else in the house. It’s a bit past noon now. Temps through the house, due to our elaborate system of closing off the rooms we’re not in, are +10 C./+50 F. in the bedroom and bathroom, 13/56 in the living room, 15/60 in my office and 19/68 near the stove. It has warmed up to -6 outside, so, again, goddam. Fortunately, I was in the Marines and Jude is a nurse.

We live in a small valley. The sun is already below the tree line on the west side. It will soon be off the solar panels. With that and sufficient water in the creek for our micro-hydro, we had enough energy to brew some coffee without tripping the generator. As was pointed out in Zombieland, enjoy the little things.

Today is the start of meteorological winter, which I much prefer over astronomical winter because it starts three weeks earlier. All I have to do is keep it together until March 1st. Thank Random Chance that 2023 isn’t a leap year.

Our little island seems to be on the frontier of climate change. Weird weather patterns abound here. This November was the coldest and driest since I started keeping records in 2008. Usually we get no snow in November. This year we got 37.5 cm (15 inches). November of last year we got a record 62.8 cm (25 inches) of rain, this year a record low 15.8 (6.25).

This May and June were the rainiest I’ve recorded, followed by the second driest July, August and September.

Stay tuned for dramatic updates. We have to walk the dogs at their insistence. Luckily, it has warmed up to -5.