Record Breaking - Bitter Cold!

 As of yesterday, the statistics were impressive.  Sixty-five hours of zero or below.  Tuesday was our coldest day in twenty-five years.  It also made it into the record books as a top-ten coldest day in Omaha's recorded weather history.  Certainly the coldest I can remember during my lifetime - anywhere!  We've all been very thankful the wind has remained - for the most part - calm.

My Tuesday morning wake-up call~

On top of all that - we've been below freezing for three weeks straight.  During this cold spell, it isn't as though we haven't had snow!  We've had lots of snow.  January 25th, we had almost a foot & it stayed.  The snowplow would come through turning the piles brown, but then fresh snow would have them covered again.  Just enough to keep things beautifully white.  As other smaller storms came through - they added about 3" per visit to what was already on the ground.

January 28th,  Full moon on pristine snow~

The stories I've heard of Iowa winters, were brought home to me as truth this winter!    

February 2nd, frost~

 The day's seem to alternate between overcast & sunshine.  Our neighbor Mike, came along with every accumulation & plowed the driveway up to the Bronco.  I think the Bronco is his favorite, even if he did sell  us the Explorer.  :-)

February 3rd, blazing sunshine~

When the sun is shining, it's so brilliantly bright, you have to wear sunglasses!  It was so bitter cold - I only took one walk in the woods...  Besides which, it's deep & crusted over, making it tough to walk through.

On the 16th~

We missed another snowfall while we were in CO.  It was as light as dust & easy to blow off the porch when we returned home.

Today~  Snowflakes in the air~

I was severely chastised by my friends at Mat-Making for not showing up last week on my birthday!  I honestly didn't think anyone would brave single digit temperatures to go.  I was so wrong!  :-)  Butch & I did go out for dinner at Tobey Jacks.  Kathy bought us a homemade brownie covered with ice cream, drizzled with chocolate & topped with whipped cream & a candle!) 

Chocolate cake!

I did bake us a chocolate cake.  Not German Chocolate - Butch's favorite, but he enjoyed it & so did I!

Today, I cowgirled up, picked Doris up & we made it to mat-makers.  It's so wonderful our little group of women continue to meet & make quilts & mats regardless of the weather, Covid, or whatever else tries to deter us from our weekly appointed task!  The moral of this story - is;  Don't mess with Iowa women!  We're a tough bunch!

My leg has been so painful, I haven't even been to the Y since the first of the month.  We're promised a day above freezing this coming weekend & a warming trend back to our seasonal temperatures soon.  The 40's will feel positively balmy!  Time for me to get back in gear!

This day - last year~