Frozen Pants and Water Vapor

We've just exited an extremely cold, polar vortex spell here in Minnesota. It was one for the record books with our air temp dipping down to -25 and staying there for almost two weeks. The wind chill made it feel more like -40. Two out of three of our vehicles quit starting around day eight. The drain pipe in our first-floor bathroom froze every night during the big chill and the water fill hose in our basement toilet froze during week two. The pilot light in our natural gas fireplace blew out on the coldest day. I had to learn, via video chat, how to relight it. I wasn't happy about that!

The weatherman tells us that we have endured the same number of below zero days this year as last, however, in 2021 we got them all at the same time. The bitter cold caused all kinds of problems beyond plumbing including black ice, white knuckle commutes, breakdowns, accidents, and isolation. We're not alone though; the extreme weather has extended all over the US.

Image by mprnews.org

Things haven't been all gloom and doom though. The bitter cold temps are ideal for turning boiling water into vapor. This video is from years ago but it's proof that we do survive these deep freezes and sometimes we have fun with it!

Folks here in Minnesota dig deep in search of ways to navigate the season of  "stay inside or die". Tom Grotting from Minneapolis came up with the idea of placing wet jeans outside and letting them freeze in place. It's a sight to see and brought a smile to my weather weary face. The hype made it into the news nationwide including an article in Time.com! Tom inspired his entire neighborhood to join in on the fun. 

Click here for the Time.com article on Frozen Pants in MN

Photo from Time.com

The humor has been a welcomed relief. Dave is in California while I am here in Minnesota juggling all the tasks we usually share and wondering how I ever thought I could survive the Great White North. It was my idea to move here 30+ years ago. At times like this I wonder what I was thinking. The hardest part of the last two weeks has been the isolation.The good news is my cat has become my best friend. She helped me through the roughest times by just sitting there and staring at me with a look on her face that asks "is it time to eat again?" She listens to me babble at myself, then at her, then at the universe. My rambling does not scare her away, in fact I think she has accepted me into her pride. Every family needs a chatty Cathy!

She likes to crochet with me

Punxatawny Phil saw his shadow on February 2nd which suggests that winter is not going to leave us anytime soon. This cold spell made me fear that Phil was onto something. Then I heard about Jerry, another groundhog that lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He did not see his shadow which means spring should come early. Jerry lives much closer to us than Phil so I'm betting on Jerry, but I'll have my fingers crossed just in case.

The weather pattern did finally break. It was 10 degrees yesterday and 17 today. It's balmy outside and I feel optimistic regarding survival, the coming of spring, and the state of my sanity. I almost want to open my windows except it is still snowing out there. Eventually, the days will become longer and the sun will rise higher and hotter. The challenges of these last two weeks will fade away. The tough times always do!