Baby its cold outside

I don't know if I will ever get used to this Midwestern weather. The other night we had an ice storm. Yes, Arizonans, you heard me correctly... ICE storm - a storm in which precipitation falls from the sky and immediately turns to ice, covering everything it touches in a cold, crystal cocoon. Most power lines can only take an accumulation of about a quarter of an inch before the lines come down, resulting in blackouts that can last for days. Luckily, the storm didn't drop as much as was expected. We'll have to wait and see what the coming winter has to offer.

Although the cold is something I may never get used to I have fallen in love with the snow. Of course, it does snow in Northern Arizona but nothing like out here. I still completely geek out when the snow begins to fall. The air is so cold that each individual snowflake holds it's form when it lands on your sleeve so you can see every delicate detail. And the way the snow shimmers and sparkles is nothing like anything I've seen in Arizona. It is as though someone has coated the ground with millions of tiny diamonds. It is breathtaking.

As I am writing this I am sitting in our ginormous living room and watching The Princess Bride. It is a lovely movie. I was particularly enjoying the "Battle of wits" scene when I heard a rather odd sound. It was reminiscent of the sound of steam screaming out of a tea kettle. Did I put a pot of tea on?... Nope. It isn't the dog. What in the world could it be? After some investigation, I discovered the cause of the sound is that the wind is blowing so fiercely it is screeching like a wildcat. Interesting. That, of course, prompted me to check the local weather report. The verdict?
"Tonight: BITTERLY COLD. Mostly cloudy and windy with scattered snow showers. Dangerous wind chills approaching -25 degrees. LOW of -4 degrees. "
Lovely...
The forecast for tomorrow?? " Very cold with wind chills of -30 degrees and a High of -5 degrees. Tomorrow night: bitterly cold with a Low of -7 degrees."
Gee. That's nice. But hey, I can look forward to the rest of the week. The temperature is expected to climb up into the single digits! Oh joy!

All in all I really can't complain too much. True, this southwestern girl is WAY out of her comfort zone but I do have a roof over my head, warm clothing and (if worst comes to worst) a knack for lighting things on fire. Perhaps the cold weather can give me an excuse to help myself to extra turkey and stuffing this Christmas. After all, I'll need the insulation, right?

As much as I may loathe the cold, the Currier and Ives look of the town makes for a lovely site from my living room window. It has grown on me. I am quite contented sitting in my warm house ensconced in blankets, socks and sweatshirts. Anyone care for a hot cocoa??