Today, we reached a HIGH of 32 Fahrenheit!  From my internet calculations, that makes it about ZERO, your temps!   

In January, when we're faced with -20 Fahrenheit (without the wind chill -- with the wind chill will be about -50) this is going to seem like a heat wave!!!!! 

But for now, darn, it's cccccold outside!     Although we've had flurries lately, soon we'll be looking at this:



Yes, that's on our property, and is our old barn (over 100 years old!)!   The red building in front of the barn is our chicken coop -- we have about 28 chickens -- just as pets, though, we don't eat them.  After all, you can't eat something you've named!      We DO take advantage of the eggs, though!   

Julie

It's like great
Fish'n & drink'n weather.
wev'e been up to 38'C (100F) here

Mick.

Thanks for converting those to Fahrenheit for me! 

I absolutely love living in an area with four seasons and LOVE the change of seasons. 

Spring is a beautiful time of rebirth -- for animals and the plants.  It's wonderful to see the trees budding and life beginning anew.   

Summer is awesome, but when we hit 95 degrees with 80% humidity, it gets to be a bit much.  You walk outside and immediately start dripping sweat . . .

Fall is gorgeous with the trees changing colors and the air cool and crisp.  Just a few months after we moved "up north" we had the opportunity to see the Northern Lights from our very own backyard!  That was something I've always wanted to see.  To be able to stand in our own backyard and watch the lights dance across the sky was a dream come true for me!   Greg and I and the kids stood outside in the 30 degree temps watching them dance right over our house!   It was just awesome!  Fall is the best time for us to have the chance to see them from here, so I make sure to keep an eye out for them at this time of year. 

Winter, yes, it's quite cold, and I may complain a bit about it, but it sure is pretty!   There's nothing like a fresh snowfall to make everything clean and white.   I can't imagine celebrating Christmas someplace where it's not cold and snowy.  Although, we don't always have a white Christmas!   It still wouldn't seem right if it were warm in December!   

I've lived here in Wisconsin all my life, so this is just normal for me.  As I said, I may complain a bit, but when the wind chills (feels like temperature) are 50 to 60 below zero, I think I have the right to whine even if I know it's going to happen every year!   

The chickens actually do just fine in the cold.  We have two heat lamps in their coop, and when it's below zero, we don't let them out.   We have their waterer on a heater to make sure it doesn't freeze, and they seem to do just fine.  They don't like coming outside after it snows because they don't have any "insulation" so to speak, on their feet.  They don't like the cold of the snow, so even when we open the door, they tend to stay inside.   

Our heating bills aren't too bad.   At this house, we have propane (or LP) for heat, and this year, it's about $1.69 a gallon.  The cooperative we belong to (and that owns our tank) comes and fills it up on their schedule, based on the previous year's usage.  It generally runs us about $150 per month from September to April, which is not too bad. 

Our house is VERY well insulated, so even though it's quite large (about 3,200 square feet), not including the basement), our bills are about the same as our last house that was one-half this size.

When it comes to winter up here, we do have to take some precautions.  If the overnight temp is going to be below 20 degrees (F), then I plug my truck in.  I don't worry about it not starting from the cold (it's a diesel), but it takes a bit longer to get heat in a diesel and I HATE having cold toes by the time I get to the store!  LOL   

We have lots of winter jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens, etc.  I keep extra clothes and blankets in my truck in the winter so that if something does happen when I'm on the road, I have enough stuff to keep me warm.  When the weather gets down to 50-70 below with the wind chill, school is usually canceled because they can't take a chance with 50-60 kids on a school bus and having it break down.   

When we have blizzards, we just hunker down and wait it out.  We're so used to that kind of weather and have the equipment available to remove it that it's not a big deal.  Within 12 hours of the snow stopping, the roads are clear and it's not a problem driving! 

WOW, I just read what I wrote . . . if you've read this far, WOW!   Sorry it's so long!

Julie

Hey Julie,
don't be sorry for the long speal, It's good to hear how the other half of the world lives!

Must say though, I'm with Murray, I still don't know how/why people would choose to live in such a cold environment. 20F(-28C). thats about thirty odd degrees C colder than I can stand, we some times get down to -2 or -3C (26F) & up to 43C (110F)in Summer...love it!!
I'm all for living in a pair of nylon footy shorts & thongs (sorry..flip flops)......oh & the Akubra (hat) of course, fish'n rod in one hand & a cold beer in the other!!!!.
You'll find most of us here are "outdoors kind of people", especially on this type of site ( I guess youve already worked that out) so any thing below 20C (68F) is miserable for me!!
You mentioned Summer @ 95F & 80% (35C) thats a good fish'n day.

in Mid Winter on a cold year I only need to go about 100 or so Klm's to get to snow, on Barrington tops. some times!
.
The Northern lights....... we have the same thing here AURORA AUSTRALIS Though I live to far Nth to see them I think, but the more southern areas of OZ do. mind you they're too cold for me as well, I have a brother in Darwin (Aus) & have never been there due to offspring in this area (Mid NSW) but would love to go more tropical if I could, (no chance! the wife does'nt want to go any where there are Crocs!!)

any way that's my speal now!
cheers, Mick.

Julie,

An absolutely beaut thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                    


What you all seem to miss is:  insulation and clothes.


From all I gather you just miss it.  If you had more insulation, you wouldn't have all that heat in your house all the time in the hot spells either.  If you had insulation, it would cost next to nothing to heat your houses in your cold times*

I've seen some of you call 17' cold.  Well, it was 17' where I am today.  & I really didn't like having to wear a jacket outside 'in case it rained'.    & it rained a lot of the day (all the times I was outside, natch). 

By Nov., where I am, it's far enough into fall for 17' C to be a heat wave.   

It's going down to 1' tonight.  Tomorrow will be sunny and maybe 4.  A really nice fall day.  I'll wear the same jacket I did today and maybe the same weight jersey (knit top)  and I will be comfy taking my two dogs for a 'run'. 

See, proper insulation, proper clothes = fun. 

Different seasons make the world come alive.   I just love them.

Too much heat takes the life right out of me, esp. anything over 26'  Can't sleep in temps over 21'










**** It is NOT WINTER unless you have frost almost every night!!!  IMO