Toadfish Monastery

You're probably warmer than we are, down here!

Doppleposting- please forgive!

We're gonna get hit by the big bad arctic polar bear breath tonight, lows expected to be below zero F by morning with the help of brutal winds. If you don't see me here it'll be because of power outages.

I am hoping that Pieces is okay. She's gotten some of the worst weather of the season all ready, where she lives. I hear they woke up to something like 30 below zero F there. Stay warm, Pieces!

I'm worrying about Pieces. She hasn't been in for a while. Not seen her on Skype either.

High winds, hugh tides, torrential rain, and masive ocean surges every day............... huge areas of UK suffering flooding and destruction, only a few killed so far. I'm not getting any of it, slightly windy, a bit rainy, nasty enough not to go out, but that's simply a choice. And thank goodness for the Thames barrier which is in use every day at present. It's odd as they talk about climate change but then they say things like "we haven't seen this since 1995" or "1953", and I'm left thinking well if it's been seen within the last century before everyone started beefing on about climate change, why do you think it is due to climate change.......... all they can say seems to be "we will see this more often" of which there is no proof as far as I can tell. Illogical. Irritates me. If they want to look at reasons I wish they'd be logical. I don't have anything invested in it being climate change or it not being climate change, but I do like logic.

Rain yesterday evening, sun today

Climate change is a nebulous thing. Around here everybody beefs when it gets this cold, claiming that "global warming" is a myth. I don't know.

Here we are experiencing a polar vortex, which means that the icy air from the north pole has been pushed way down across Canada and into the United States. This has been caused by a surge of air that pushed up from Western Canada and caused the air mass to shift over us, which may have been caused by stratospheric warming. So- we're freezing because a place that is usually cold got warmer and pushed a cold mass our way.

We got up at 6:30 to a house that was 58F. Our thermostat is set to 68F, but the heat pump doesn't operate correctly when it's below 20F, and it was probably around 3F out there. We've had our little propane fireplace on for 4 1/2 hours and are now up to 62F! Area schools are closed. Th'Opsalette is delighted. Looks like it's soup for lunch.

62F? That's what the AC thermometer is reading (inside), but if I move to the balcony where the door is open* a watch reads 55F and the thermometer in the wind reads 50F. The temp in my den is at a comfortable 73F mostly due to the computer.

*I leave the glass door of the balcony open with a screen door closed because the birds are outside and the best way to know if it is too cold is forcing yourself to deal with the same temperature. Supposedly was going to get up to 64F outside but I doubt the wind will allow it, and my birds will have to go back in three more hours when the sun goes and the temperature drops again.

Ah, that sounds nice.

Our house is finally up to 68F!

More high winds and lots of rain overnight tonight (not here) meaning more floods - it just goes on and  on.

Yesterday up to 14°C
A bit of rain this morning

Edit: after a bit of sun now it's raining again. I have to conclude that April came early this year.
Edit 2: And again some sun through a small hole in the clouds

Really cold again, today! House is down to 62F inside. I'm sitting by the fire with my laptop, waiting for it to warm up enough to dare a shower. It feels just as cold as it did yesterday, but we don't have the winds today.

It's obvious that this is a premature April. Constant change of weather and far too warm for the season

Lots of snow, with mild temperatures. It's the kind of nice winter weather that I like here, albeit with the dreary grey skies that are usual for our winters.

Freezing rain this morning. School was delayed by two hours. Now at 1:21pm the ice still hangs on the trees, but the pavement is just wet. A rainy weekend lies ahead, but that sounds rather nice after all the frigid air we have seen.

Premature April still proceeding. January considering to suit

Spring-like weather hereabouts.   Nice, after the frosty days just past.  Sunday's supposed to be in the lower 70's (F).  Positively balmy.

Even better:   old man Sol stuck his face through the clouds, shooing them away.   I was sure he'd run off with the moon's daughter.