January 14, 2013

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

This weather is ridiculous. We are 30 degrees below normal. And us locals generally find normal to be pretty cold. Mother Nature is at it again with her pranks. Frank is in Cleveland for work and this weekend they were in the upper 50's - maybe even 60's and here? We haven't broke 40 in three days. Our lows have been in the teens.

Saturday morning I went out to check on the fish in the pond. I slipped on the pool deck on my way. The sprinklers run every Saturday. Just in time to create an ice rink. Living in the desert for nearly ten years you never assume wet = ice. I'm so thankful I fell going toward the pond rather than coming back from it. If that would've happened I would've slid right into the pool. Fish were ok. Pool was ok. All pipes made it in tact.

We made it through to Sunday A-OK too, but driving around running errands I saw so many fountains froze over. The funniest was the big fancy condos across from the Suncoast. The fountains were frozen and there was so much run off the right lane was closed due to ice.

This morning, though, I wasn't as lucky. The pond froze. Fortunately, the fish took shelter in the deepest part. I knew we'd barely get above freezing today, so I broke through the ice and removed as much of it as I could so I wouldn't come home to frozen fish. The thinnest ice was near the waterfall and that was about a 1/2" the backside was about 3". Five years in the house, the pond has never frozen. Firsts for everything.

Needless to say it was a rough start to the week. Freezing, while chipping ice away in 16 degrees with wind chill is no way to begin a Monday. I'm still chilled to the bone.

I gotta say, I am incredibly thankful my heat went out last week, rather than now. It'd be brutal going without heat now while waiting to get a ignitor switch replaced.

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