Tuesday, February 9, 2021

How cold is it?

 It is cold. No, let me rephrase that, it is extremely cold. At the current time, it is -2. That is two degrees below zero. Not 2 degrees above zero. Not the wind chill. That is the air temperature. If you factor in the wind, which doens't have to be much at this temperature, it is -15. Now for those of you further north or out west of here in Nebraska, you might say, "That is nothing, we are ____ (name your temp)." I get it. It is colder elsewhere. I feel for you. I have lived where it has gotten that cold. I remember one winter where we went 18 days without getting above zero, that is the high never got above zero. Yes, it was colder then.

But let me tell you, my feet are cold. I sit here at my desk, look outside, shiver, and then realize, even with the little heater under my desk, my feet are still cold. It is brutal. Bring your pets in. For those of you who have livestock, anyway to bring them into your house to keep them warm? No? (I know there isn't, but just wanted to see if anyone would take me up on the offer!) I feel for you. Chores in this weather is miserable. I pray for you. Be safe. Don't get frostbite. Bundle up in you Carhart. I hope you have a heated cab on your tractor. I feel for the cattle. They have to be cold. I couldn't be standing out there in the field or feed lot in this weather. I know you have to chip ice off the water so they can drink. It is a non stop job as a person who has livestock. Prayers for you. 

For those with pets, bring them in. We had a chicken once. Yes, we had one chicken. Henrietta. The story of how we got her will wait for another day. It is fun. Anyway, Henrietta had a coop out behind the house in Troy, IL. During good weather, she was free range, meaning she wandered our yard eating bugs. She came when we called her. She had a warming light in her coop along with straw. Kept her wamr most of the time. But when it got brutal cold like this, we would bring her into our garage, where we had a dog kennel, set up for her, with plenty of straw, a place to perch, a cover over the kennel, and her own heater. We kept her warm. She appreciated it and gave us eggs. What is my point? Oh, yet, it is that if you have a pet, bring them in out of the cold. I saw a meme that said, "Go out and sit with you pet in the yard. Then, when you find it is too cold, bring them in." That is good advice. I let my dogs out regularly,  but I don't let them stay out long. It is too cold. So that means that they go in and out, in and out. That's ok. I know they are healthy and safe.

Where am I going with this blog? Nowhere. It is just cold. Sounds like this weekend is going to be even colder. Get ready. Bundle up. I know I will. But this weekend, I won't be getting out at all. Why? Not because of the cold, but because I will have just had a knee replaced on Thursday (in two days!). So it is a good time to be laid up. Penny will take care of me. I will moan and groan. I will be the typical patient. And through it all, I know two things: 1) The Lord is always with me (I never doubted this) and 2) Penny really does love me (I never doubted this either). 

Be safe. Be warm. Check on your friends and family. Love one another. If you see someone who is in need, help them. Show the love of Christ, not just when it is brutally cold, but every day. All right, I think I will turn my heater up to warm my toes. 

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