It's just COLD!

Experiencing winter in South Dakota is much different from the years I spent in Maine or even California and the winters in those places. Yesterday a cold front came in and within 3 hours time the temperatures had dropped from 54º with a slight breeze to 5º with winds steady NNW at 50 MPH and gusts to 65 MPH knocking the temperature to feeling like it was -25º. My patio furniture (which I should call deck furniture since it's on a deck) was flying about. A stack of 4 chairs came flying at me and struck the sliding glass door with such force that I thought it was going to break the glass. Our gas grill which is chained to the railing of our deck (to keep it from falling over in such winds) had indeed fallen over. The sturdy metal hooks used to keep it tied to the railings had stretched out and were no longer hooks but a bent and now loosely open thing that resembled the letter "C". Empty clay flower pots were strewn across our backyard as if they weighed no more than a dried leaf. The children helped me to gather the chairs to our outdoor table and bring them inside. Then they suited up in heavy winter gear and chained the grill to the railing once again but this time using heavy duty locks and not the hooks that once held my pot rack to the ceiling. Those hooks can withstand a great deal of weight but apparently not 50 MPH winds tugging on a heavy gas grill. There does not need to be snow on the ground for it to be horribly cold outside. The winds here are unlike anywhere else I have ever lived. Nor have I experienced the huge drops in temperature that seem to occur out here.

The temperature monitor is at the High School and it's currently -5º and with the windchill it's -27º, now that IS cold indeed! But winter wear has made some serious advances...the technology involved in making insulation for jackets, gloves and hats warmer but keeping the weight and the bulk down to a minimum is amazing! My poor children (especially my daughter who is now coming down with a head cold) will be dressed much like Ralphie's little brother from the movie "A Christmas Story" 2 hats, a big ole scarf wrapped around her face and neck and a very fluffy jacket, she'll be lucky is she can put her arms down. Andrew (who seems to be made from sturdier stock than his delicate sister) braves the cold without much complaining...he dons many layers of cold weather clothing suited for the area, where as his sister prefers to have the "Ski Bunny" look, LOL!

Now as for myself, I've got to figure out what I'm going to wear to keep myself warm today as I have promised to work at the base thrift shop today...have I mentioned that I really hate being cold? That place is going to be like a meat locker today!

So where is my happiness today? It's in knowing that I'm bringing in a picnic lunch for me and a couple of girlfriends. That's I'm in the company of good friends, making the best of a situation (the freezing temperatures). I made my "momma sauce" yesterday and it's going to make a fantastic lunch for Heidi, Kim and myself!