cold days

It’s back to school this week, which is funny because it’s also freezing here and probably the closest to snow we will see this year. We were slugs Monday morning and oozed our way to the front door fifteen minutes later than usual with hats, gloves, and coats in tow. I patiently explained to my cranky little warm weather children why all the gear was absolutely necessary for several minutes before Caleb opened the front door and let in a huge gust of frigidity that rooted us all to the foyer floor. His explanation was decidedly more effective than mine.

I carefully skirted the patches of ice on the school parking lot and dropped the kids off at the door a good five minutes after the tardy bell, along with half the school. There’s an unspoken understanding between us Southerners when the weather gets “too cold”. Everything runs a little slower, everyone is a little later (or doesn’t show up at all), there’s a run on the grocery store bread aisle because “too cold” is a good excuse for being a hermit in your house for days. I’m still in shock that there was school today when it was clearly “too cold” for it.

Freezing weather is full of new experiences. Like taking the dogs out. It requires bottomless wells of patience. They hate the cold but can’t seem to make the connection between the speed at which they empty their bladders and the speed at which we make a beeline back into the house. Oh, and breaking up the ice on the chicken water bucket every morning. It’s about as much fun as it sounds.

Want to see what a chicken looks like when it starts to molt?

Starting to look a little bare there, Babs.

ps. You picked a great week to be naked.

This hat has seen a lot of use. He got it for Christmas and has barely taken it off since.

This guy? He’s not so much into hats, but he can whip his hair back and forth. So there.

Random pic of my brother and his girlfriend. Just too cute not to share. This was on what I would now classify as a “warm” day.

Happy Wednesday, folks. Take heart. 60s are on the horizon.