The winter freeze is here. Or was over two weekends ago. After a very mild December & January, February has brought some snow and temps below zero. Weatherman said it was -7 on a recent Sunday morning. My friend who has an old house in the next town said his reading was -14 and the wind-chill factors were probably -35. His kitchen pipes froze and burst early Sunday morning. I discovered that the rug I spilled some water on while doing dishes was frozen to the camper floor! So, I pulled it up & hung it outside. Then I brought the SpaceSaver bags in from the car (I had pulled them out of storage on Thursday). I got them b/c they had some things I could use in the caper for more warmth. A quilt that would hang over one of the living area windows with some adaptation, some sheepskn pelts for the floor and a nice fleece on one side and fake velvet on the other side. What a nice blanket! I had forgotten about it completely. BB and I were so warm wrapped up in it while we watched DVD’s and the temp plummeted as dark fell.

Just after Christmas, I bought an electric blanket…but it was not the regular blanket. It was a fleece or microfiber blanket and is so soft. At night, I would postpone going to bed b/c the bed was so cold, I had to wear sweat pants, sox and a pull over. I would wake up a few hours later, overheated. In the process of undressing, I would wake up and not be able to go back to sleep. I LOVE my electric blanket! BB does, too for he sleeps at the bottom of the bed with his own blankets. He relaxes and sleeps all night. So nice! I suffered last winter without and decided that I shouldn’t suffer another winter with cold feet! I do have two electric blankets in storage, but can’t seem to find the time, energy and help to get into that.

Kitty has been sleeping at night inside the storage camper since the weather has been so wintery. He is always happy to get his hot food and water twice a day. I have set him up a litter pan and he uses it when he is storm-bound…or smart enough to stay inside when temps drop below zero. He was starting to shed out his winter coat while weather was so warm. My friend who owns horses, said her horses were shedding, too! Guess weather strangeness affects us all.

I have heard the Cardinals and Titmice singing their territorial songs the past two weeks. The first weeks of February! The trees are showing their typical red blush at the branch tips. This normally happens in mid-March. The lakes haven’t frozen over for more than a day or two this winter. Of course, after the weekend’s dip into the artic temps, the ice has formed. It was very winds, so the ice is probably spoiled for ice skating…not that it is safe.

Temps re predicted to rise into the 50’s by tomorrow as it rains. No info on Wednesday’s weather…I don’t have internet or TV so I am pretty much out of the loop when it comes to weather forecasts. I rely on the radio’s information which can be sketchy.

This afternoon, it has clouded over and is dismal. The temps have risen from -3 to 30. I spread some sand where I walk to help with icy conditions after it rains later tonight and into tomorrow.

I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but I bought a tarp and covered the top of my camper. I know it has been leaking where the awning connects to the camper, but I need two other persons to help me remove the awning. I believe the leaking has been curtailed since the tarp went over the top. The already leaked inside moisture is still drying out and there is sometimes condensation on the windows when there is no cooking or boiling water going on inside. I spent some time covering windows with plastic storm windows and that has really helped curtail the amount of condensation that needs to be removed.

I have a lot of things I am trying to work on over the winter months…and more than what this camper can easily hold. I put the excess things in front of the door every night and onto the bed after I wake every morning. I open the window coverings so the sun can come in to thaw the ice on the windows, heat water and rocks for the animals water bowls, heat the cat food, wash up, make breakfast for myself, empty the used water bucket, straighten up the camper, let the dog outside, start the car, load up the car and go to the farm. I shovel if necessary…both at the farm and at the camper. I feed the wild birds and they have warm water (with a hot stone) every day. Ducky Lucky gets warm water and a heated stone in her water bowl, fresh food and shavings in her kennel.

BB goes for a walk in the field across from my farm. He is happier when the driveways are plowed so he can run up and down. Otherwise, he mopes around and won’t poop till he is backed up for two days. Then he farts all day and night…What a dog! But in his defense, he is the easiest dog I have ever owned and is so cute!

My property has had an offer. I am supposed to call my lawyer and let him know I accept the offer. Since things have NOT gone the way they should have been going, I am, to say the least, not a happy camper. Not that there is an offer on the property, but that I cannot seem to depend on the (court appointed) commissioner to follow protocol. He neglected to notify my attorney that he had approved and allowed a real estate for sale sign posted on the property. Seems he “forgot” to let us know the sign was allowed. That, along with the Probate Court misplacing my case file for almost nine months really causes me pause on the Massachusetts Court/Justice system. And Third District Court of New Bedford also dropped the ball when they didn’t forward the proper information to the RMV and I lost my license for months…and then had to pay tons of $$$ to have my license back.

I believe I will be very happy when I am out of this area. Are you aware that 75% of drivers (in this area) do not use their turn signals? And the police are worse! I have had cop cars pull over to the side of the road…without any indication of turning. I have cops turn right in front of me…a left turn when they should have yielded. I have seen just too many cops use their position to abuse power and ignore the law. In case you don’t know it yet, we do live in a police state. The whole nation is under a police state. Paid by our tax dollars. I didn’t start off to talk about these things, just got off-topic.

Snow is falling now and I need to get to Savers so I can find some clothes that fit me…since I quit cigs, I can’t get into my Levis! Guess this is the tradeoff for giving up appetite controlling addiction to nicotine.