The kids and I are at a hotel taking showers, watching The Crocodile Hunter, and using the free Wi-Fi. It got down to 55 last night in our bedroom! I did not get much sleep, in spite of the long underwear and pajamas, plus two comforters, and being sandwiched between my husband and my new dog, which I haven't even had time to tell everyone about!
Mike is back home keeping the wood stove fired up so our pipes don't freeze. We know the pipe coming out of the well is frozen though, because it's in the shed, and without a fan in the pump room, the temp at ground level is freezing, even though the gas heater is keeping the room in the 50s.
Livestock water has been the biggest challenge. Yesterday we drained the water heater in the barn, which provided enough water for everyone. Today, however, the water won't come out, so we think it might be frozen. I recalled that the last time I saw the creek, there was a break in the ice at the ford, so Mike is going down there and bringing it back a bucket at a time.
Hopefully, we'll get power back soon, and I'll have time to write all about it. More nasty weather is on the way.
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12 comments:
This isn't wimping out, it's choosing where to make your stand, and which fight is worth fighting. Sure, you could tough it out, but to what purpose? I generally keep my house in the mid-50s by choice in the winter. But only when there's no one home, or when everyone is sleeping. When there are people home and awake, I run the temp up into the mid-60s. BUT! I'm not faced with the prospect of having temperatures falling even lower than that, and I'm not in a "pipes freeze" situation. Not yet anyway, though it is DANG frosty for Delware right now - We're talking Alaskan temps 'round here, today.
So - call it prudence, and be at peace.
;-)
I had to chuckle. I KEEP my thermostat set at 50 degrees all winter. Yes, that is cold. REAL cold. But it saves me a fortune in heating bills and I just dress like a bag lady when I'm home. I live alone. The dogs are used to it and I wear lots of wool. I figure, at 50 the pipes won't freeze. Not something I'd recommend for everyone but it works for me. Needless to say, I don't get lots of company in the winter!
55 is 12c. That's what it got to overnight here and we slept with just a sheet over the top of nothing else. Yet you find that temperature freezing! Begs the question how hot do you have the house when you do have electricity.
I'm not sure I'd survive winters like your having. It never gets below freezing here and we're at the bottom of Oz. I guess it's what the body becomes accustomed to.
MM -- Prudence? I like that! Thanks!
Nancy -- I know you keep it cold at your place, which is why I felt wimpy when writing about us bugging out. Now I can say with authority that you are definitely one tough lady!
Dogbait -- When it's 55 here in fall or spring, we sleep with the windows open, but it doesn't get much cooler in the house than mid-60s at best, and we love it. When it's 0 F outside and 55 inside, that's cold. We keep the thermostat at 65 F in the winter.
Oh my goodness, I hope your power comes back on soon.
Since Saturday, the power company has been saying, "no estimate" on when our power will be restored. Now they're saying 11 p.m. Dec. 24!!!
Hang in there! It comes as a rude shock when our 'world as we know it' gets rocked. We were out of electricity for 13 days back in 2007 after a terrible ice storm. I heat with wood, so was okay there, and the roads never got impassable. I was able to haul water for the sheep and animals and flushing/bathing from where I work (they never lost power), but it got exhausting, and the sheep hated the chlorinated water! My house stays about 50 at night and up in the 50s during the day (nearer 70 when I'm home and have the wood stove roaring all day). It's not well insulated so that is just how it has to be, and on the plus side, I rarely get colds/viruses! :-) I dress in layers and have a wool mattress pad, wool blend blanket and a REAL heavy homemade wool/flannel blanket to go over the top. It's really amazing how warm it is. The older cat crawls under the covers--day or night when he gets cold. :-) Take care in all that junk.
Tammy
"Thermal Resort Spa"..?
Lovely - more spam. And teasing spam, at that. How do they get past the Word Verification..?
It seems like so many people are having trouble with the weather on both coasts of our country. I hope they get that electricity restored ASAP, and you can get your life back to some semblance of order.
Wow, I say go for it and enjoy the hotel. After the big ice storm a couple of weeks ago, my aunt and uncle just spent seven days without power in rural New Hampshire where their heating system and the pump from their well is all electric. I think they said it got down to about 43 one night after the fire went out. If I were them, I would have gone to a hotel too!
I hope your power comes back on soon! That would be a great Christmas gift, huh? :)
Sure hope your power is back on soon so you can get back home!
Thanks for all the good wishes! It certainly has been sad hearing about all the people this holiday season whose lives have been disrupted by the weather.
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