Winter Weirdness

This whole "real winter" thing has thrown me for a loop! I have begun to experience things that are completely foreign to a gal from Texas. In all this below freezing weather, I have learned a few new things...for instance, day before yesterday it was 9 degrees at 9am and I was preparing to go over the mountains to Colville for an appointment. My hair was still wet from my shower because I was planning on going curly. I needed to let the horses out of their stalls and wanted to do it before I started loading the truck and putting my makeup on, etc. So, I RAN from the house to the barn, which is about 300 ft. and by the time I made it to the barn, my hair was frozen. Yes, FROZEN! So, I reluctantly got out the ol' blow dryer and put it to good use. Lesson #1: You can't "go curly" when it is below freezing. :)

Other strange things have been happening too. David and I were on the way home from town and stopped to gas up the truck. It was about 22 degrees out. With all the ice, snow, and dirt on the passes the truck gets FILTHY. So, David started washing the rear window on the truck canopy so he could see out of it. He couldn't figure out why, when he started washing it, it wasn't coming clean. Then he realized that it was because as he was washing, the water from the scrubber was FREEZING to the window. Lesson #2: You can't wash your truck windows when it is below freezing...you can only scrape or use de-icing spray and then scrape. Lesson #3: Water really can freeze instantly.

Night before last we had about 4-6 inches of snow fall and then the clouds moved out leaving it to get COLD. With the doubly clear skies yesterday and last night the temperature was around -5 degrees this morning and supposed to be colder tonight. Coming home last night over the pass the thermometer in my truck was reading 0 degrees and I was wondering if it would show negative temps too. Well, I soon after got my answer...Lesson #4: The Dodge does show negative temps! It was reading -3 on the way home after leaving Republic. David got to use our new snow plow yesterday to clear off the driveway and main road to the house. We are breaking out all the extreme cold weather gear too. I will try to gather it all up and take pics...we are amazed at all the stuff we have had to buy for the weather here! More to come soon...enjoy the winter wonderland pics!

The Kettle River beginning to freeze

Mountains from the front porch at sunrise after the snowfall

Tree in the front yard...love how the snow lines the branches, so pretty

Scout wondering what all the white stuff is :)

The truck was covered with ice, snow, and icicles

Icicles were hanging from the truck...they covered the front bumper and grill and the ones behind the tires were almost down to the ground

Icicles on the front porch...hummingbird feeder for measurement purposes