Cold Snap

We had a cold snap this week, with temperatures as low as the high 20s or low 30s.  After a couple of days, I was walking into work with some co-workers who said they were ready for summer.  I reminded them that it will get warm again, unlike other parts of the country. It did get warm today, but it will be cold again over the weekend. 

My co-workers agreed that we would see warm weather again, without having to wait until April or May of next year.  

Overnight Freeze

Sunday overnight we experienced our first freeze of the season. It came early this year, and barely happened, but happen it did!  It continue to be cold, but not as cold today.  But raw and gray.

Cold Rain

Monday, it was grey all day.  Early evening, we had some light to middling rain in Lubbock. It has been cold.  The grey overcast, cold and intermittent rain has continued today.  And may continue tomorrow.  

Good cover up and snuggle weather. 

A Grey, Raw, Damp Day

Today was unexpectedly a grey, raw, damp day.  I did not expect that today.  I thought it was going to be sunnier and warmer, but knew there was a possibility of inclement weather.  I wore my winter coat to work, and out tonight when I went to dinner and book club.  

When I arrived home from work tonight, the house was at 68°.  A little cool.  I turned on the furnace, which came on immediately, and seemed to be working appropriately, when I left to go out about 50 minutes later.  It still seems to be working okay.  

I have used space heater in the computer room, also.  

Cooler Weather

We are experiencing wet and cooler weather tonight.  The outside temperature is in the mid 50s, and the inside temperature in the low 70s.  I put an afghan on the bed as an extra cover, but I have debated about turning on the heater.  So far, I have not.  I may regret it in the morning, but it does not take long for my heater to warm up the house once it is on.

I always try to be home the first time I use the heater, just to be sure everything works okay.

I had thought about using a space heater in the computer room where I am sitting, but decided not to do so until late in the evening. I just put a flannel robe on over my clothes.  I have a pole lamp as my desk lamp, and there are three lights on it.  I have two CFL light bulbs in the lamp, and one incandescent light bulb in the lamp, which throws a little more heat. That has helped a little, but not much. 

Haiku does not like the cold, and she has been in and out of the computer room all night, complaining.  She likes the cat carriers in the closet, where some of the clothes cover the air slots, and her body heat is held in. She spent some time there tonight.  But she came back to the computer room, complaining, so I did turn on the space heater, and I have to admit, it feels good. But Haiku disappeared anyway.

Well, Taki and I will continue to enjoy the warm air in the computer room, and maybe Haiku will return.  It will soon be bed time, anyway.

Oh, the Joints in My Hands

Oh, the joints in my hands are hurting tonight, and I did nothing strenuous to tax them, so I am thinking it is in response to the change in the barometric pressure we experienced today.

This morning, the weather forecasters said 40% chance of rain, and there were sprinkles on and off throughout  the day. But the day started mild, and stayed that way till mid to late afternoon, when a front blew in with cold air. .

And then the wind came, very stout, chilling the air, and after a couple of hours, the pea to marble sized hail, and rain. It rained more than once.  Not much, not even drenching, but it rained.

Enough to impact the joints in my body that react to the changes in barometric pressure.  Not bad, but causing some discomfort.  

Watering In

So, watering in the pre-emergent on my lawn involved its own set of events.  In the backyard, I actually ran two hoses, and let one soak, especially around the trees, while I used a nozzle on another hose.  I knew I should put in a new washer in the nozzle, but did not bother, so I became soaked as water leaked out at the juncture of the nozzle and the hose.  

When I stopped watering and prepared to go to the Lady Raider game, of course, I had to put on entirely different clothing that was dry.

When I returned home after the basketball game, I put on another set of dry clothing and finished watering the yard.  By then, although the reported temperature was in the 70s, it was much cooler than it had been earlier in the day.  

I was so glad to get inside, strip the wet clothes off, and get into the warmest clothing I have.  It actually felt like a blessing to be so warm and dry. It brought me back to when I lived in New England, and we would be out in the winter for a day of winter sports or shoveling or other winter activity, and when we went inside, getting out of the wet, cold clothes and bundling up in something warm and dry.  A nice memory. 

Cold Front

It was seasonably cod this morning, but the sun was out and there was little wind.  Part way through the day, the predicted cold front blew in.  It was bitter cold, with a  strong north wind, and grey cloud cover that made it seem colder than it really was.

I had a few things to do in and out.  And, the plumber returned today to finish the sewer line project.  He said he timed it so he would not be outside in the very cold early morning, but he would hopefully be done by the time the really bitter cold flew in.  He did pretty good with his timing.  And, the plumbing is fixed.

I had some things I could have done outside, but chose not to do.  I also could have run errands, but decided the errands could wait until tomorrow, when I will already be out coming home from work.  

Warm Up

The weather this past week has been cold and rainy.  I took a bit of a chill last night, but did not want to turn the heater on.  The temperature inside is at about 70°, so the heater probably would not have started any way.  And it is supposed to warm up next week.  

Haiku does not like it that cold, and she has been cranky all week.  She likes to go out in the garage and sit on the warm hood of the car, but because it is wet, I have not let her go out in the garage.

Today at work, I did not feel good. I did not sleep well last night, and I was chilled.  I sat with my jacket and gloves on for a second day in a row, and left work after about 4 hours. 

When I got home, I made some hot chicken soup for lunch.  I have also been drinking hot tea.  And I turned the space heater on in the computer room.   Taki, Haiku and  I have been in that room, with the door mostly closed this afternoon.   Haiku was cranky at first and kept asking to go out into the garage.  But when the room warmed up, she settled down on the chair behind me and would reach out to me every once in a while. I believe to say thank you.  

I  know she really likes it warmer.  She has some nests where she can sit and it will warm up from her body heat after a while:  Behind the towels on the bottom shelf of the linen closet; in the crate in the closet, which has a towel inside, and clothes covering some of the slots, again it will hold in her  body heat; and a soft covered cat bed, which will also hold her body heat. 

I am wearing long sleeves, sweat pants and my long fleece nightgown over that.  Even with the heater on, I am not too warm.  But I am comfortably warm. 

I hope I am not getting sick. I think I will wear my heavy coat to work tomorrow, and not just the light jacket I have worn the last few days. 

Old Coast Guard Beach

I was at Old Coast Guard Beach, MA earlier this week.  It was cold, windy and grey.  Two men went down to the beach in wet suits, carrying boards.  The boards looked short, so I have to wonder if they were body boards vs. surf boards.  I could not see down to the beach where they were.  I had to think that they were sort of crazy.  But some people do go into the cold water, to surf or swim.  Mostly as a stunt, which is what I was seeing the beginnings of.

Lubbock Weather Varies

So the weather in Lubbock has been quite varied this week. Monday afternoon, it was so warm, I sat in the yard and read while wearing just a light jacket.  We had another warm day this week.  We were supposed to have frozen rain, sleet or an icy mix today, but it did not happen.  It was a grey, overcast day, and very cold, but no precipitation. Tonight the forecast is for rain and freezing rain or sleet possibly around Lubbock, but mostly to the north. Monday is supposed to be sunny, though.  Which is good.  That is a holiday, and I have some outside tasks to do, mainly taking down the Christmas light.  We shall see what actually happens.

So, in preparation for the weekend weather, I went to the grocery store on Thursday and stocked up, and topped off the gas tank. Since there was no precipitation today, I could have done my shopping today, but who knew? 

Snowstorm In Lubbock

We had a snowstorm in Lubbock on January 6, 2017. It came through mid-morning, and was done well before noon. As the snow was falling, it looked like we had the potential for a lot of snow.  However,the radar showed that this snowstorm was a thin squall line that was moving through the South Plains horizontally, and Lubbock was smack dab in the center of it. The squall line was thin, and if it had been vertical, Lubbock would have received very little snow. As it was, we received about 1 to 1.5 inches of snow.

Vitamin C

So, on Friday morning, December 30, 2016 I awoke to a dry cough and a raspy sore throat. I took some Vitamin C and later in the day, the symptoms had disappeared.  This is not the first time Vitamin C helped me with some respiratory problems.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Granny Square Afghan

I have a granny square afghan http://crochet.about.com/od/crochet-pictures/tp/Crochet-Inspiration-10-Beautiful-Granny-Square-Blankets.htm that my mother made.  I am not sure how I ended up owning it after my mother's death, but for me, it is a blessing that I have this afghan.  For several years, I have been using a fleece throw on top of my sheet, and a blanket as an extra supplement to the sheet and comforter on my bed. When I started using the granny square afghan, I did not need the extra blanket, or the fleece throw.  I am blessed to have this granny square afghan that my mother crocheted. 

The Weather In Lubbock

The weather in Lubbock can change on a dime.  It happened on December 17, 2016.  The temperature at about 8 AM was in the mid-60s.  We were expecting a cold front later in the day, but at about 9:45 AM, the front blew in and immediately the temperature dropped from pleasant to unpleasantly cold.  This is not the first time I have experienced this in Lubbock, but it seems to be happening more frequently these days.

Cold Snap

On the night of December 7, 2016, we had a cold snap.  Until then, we had had an unusually mild fall.  So this night, the weather just turned cold.  The next day, as I drove around the city, there was an unusual phenomenon.  All the mulberry trees had lost their green leaves, which were piled under the trees.  It was a really strange sight.  A lot of other leaves fell that night, but it was not as obvious, because they were seasonably brown or yellow.  It was the bright green of the mulberry leaves that made them so obvious.

The next few days, the weather included some windy periods. And during those times, the leaves hit up against the windows and made it sound like it was raining.  It was not raining. That was an interesting phenomenon also.

Warming Up

I went to the Lady Raider Basketball game on December 14, 2016, and stayed for the doubleheader, to watch the Red Raider Basketball game http://www.texastech.com/#.  I enjoyed both games, which were wins for the home team, but the men's game was much more exciting.  I got supper between the games, and of course, indulged in junk food I did not need. I saw a couple of people from work at the game.

And, I got cold. It was during the men's game, especially in the second half. I suspect it was because the section of the arena in which I was sitting was not far from an set of doors to the outside, and the temperature dropped quite a bit during the game.

It took me a bit to get warmed up at home, but it is happening, and I am glad. Except, when I transfer to my bed, it will be cold again. But that is good for sleeping, and I have plenty of warm cover.

Returning to the Lifestyle Center

I have not been to the Covenant Lifestyle Center in months.  it was a combination of factors.  Last fall, while the staff and administration at the Lifestyle Center insisted that the water was "heated," it certainly did not feel that way. I got tired of being cold in the water, and being uncomfortable when I got out.  I was not the only one who complained, to no avail.

Then, I got really, really busy at work and often worked so late that I could not have gone to the Lifestyle Center during the week,  had I wanted to. I blew off weekend sessions. My bad. Then, the cold winter weather moved in.  I have a hard time getting into cold water in cold weather.

Last month, at the Barnes and Noble Book Club, a friend said we needed to return to the Lifestyle Center. I agreed, but did nothing. She said the same thing last night, which motivated me enough to go today. It was a wonderfully warm, sunny day. I could not contact the friend, but went, anyway.

The pool was empty when I arrived, but shortly some pool friends arrived. One told me the pool had been very cold that last 3 days, but was a little warmer today.  And the air in the room was warm. (And the pool heater was on, so the pool warmed as we stayed.) 

I met some new people at the pool tonight. One is a reader and loves mysteries, and expressed an interest in the Barnes and Noble Mystery Book Club.

I was cold when I got out of the pool.  One of my pool friends had a robe that she made out of towels, because she was tired of being cold when she got out of the pool. She mentioned that others have started using cotton robes.  So, I am not the only one who hates being cold in the pool and when I get out.  Hmmmm. I do not sew, but maybe this person will make me a robe, if I buy the towels.

I need the exercise. And I enjoy the people.  Maybe I can motivate myself to start to go to the Lifestyle Center regularly, again.

Snow in Lubbock, Again

I worked late tonight. This seems to be a common theme with me these days.  Not by choice, necessarily, but by a sense of obligation to my patients.  On my way home at about 7:30 PM, the icy rain started. By time I was home, it was mostly snow.  Much of the snow that fell after Christmas was melted by today, and now, the lawns and dirt areas are snow covered. A peak out the door shows that the concrete and asphalt are still wet, and not frozen, although we can anticipate the freezing will occur overnight.  The weather forecasters anticipate the roads will be dangerous early AM but clear up later in the morning.  So it is my hope. It is what it will be. 

Another Winter Storm

Today, Lubbock was forecast to have drizzle, freezing rain, and snow. Mid-day, you could see the snow flakes interspersed with the sleet, drizzle and freezing rain.  By late afternoon, the moisture continued, and continued to interchange in form, but mostly was unfrozen.

I was even able to scrape some snowy ice off of the walk on the north side of my house, so it was truly above freezing today, and helping the snow and ice to melt.  I heard a comment at work today, and it was on target: With this slow melt, the snow is melting into the ground, where the moisture will do some good, versus melting quickly, and creating run off that will either flood or run into areas that do not need the moisture.

Tonight, I saw lightning to the north.  Not much, but it did occur.  It was again, a winter storm.