Memories of Record Low Temperatures

During the coldest part of any winter, I think back to one winter when I was a very little girl…I’m guessing 7 years old.

My family, (father, mother, brother and me) lived in a house that was built in the early 1900s to house farm hands. This is in the Wapping section of South Windsor. The house had no insulation, single floors, garage/cellar under the house, no central heat and it stood on a little knoll with nothing to protect it from the wind. In the winter it could get quite cold. My brother and I would come downstairs in the morning and stand on chairs next to the big black stove to get dressed. Every fall, my father would buy a crate of Macintosh apples and we would store them in the upstairs closet that was open to both my bedroom and my brother’s.

One winter in particular I remember, for a few nights, we couldn’t sleep upstairs. My father closed off the dining room so the heat from the big black stove in the kitchen would, hopefully, warm the living room, too. My brother, who was 11, and I slept on the couch, layered with blankets.  We slept feet-to-face, and because he was longer than I, his feet came closer to my face than mine to his. My mother and father slept on the floor on a mattress my father brought down from upstairs.

There were many cold winters before we had central heat, but this one is the one I remember most. Maybe that is the reason, to this day, I like a cold bedroom. I sleep with an open window all year round (except heat waves)…the degree of open depending on the outside temperature.

On last night’s weather, it was pointed out that February 16, 1943, had the record low temperature of -24°. That had to be the winter I remember.

Keep in mind, I would have been in the third grade by this time and we walked to school…one mile away. And, no, it was not up hill both ways! The older kids were instructed to keep an eye on themselves and the younger kids in case of frostbite.

I don’t know if this was the same winter or not, but one winter we had so much snow the Army tanks went down Clark Street side by side clearing the drifts. That was quite a sight! The Army was bivouacked in a field not far from our house. That would make it during WWII, so 1943 would also make sense.

Ah, those were the days. 

New England Snow Storms — Carry On!

My location is in north central Connecticut…2 hours southwest of Boston. It will be weeks before we see Boston again. Why? Good old fashioned New England snowstorms…one on top of another!

In three weeks time, we had a blizzard, then a snowstorm, and now another blizzard (for Boston) and lots of blowing and drifting snow for the rest of us. Right now it’s 13° F. with a wind chill of -5° F. That’s quite a bit warmer than when I got up. The wind is a steady 20 mph from the WNW. Translation: it feels damned cold.

So, what does one do while these storms are in progress? Here’s a sample.

There is the usual getting up routine. I’ll spare you the details. Once the coffee is made, I sit in front of the TV while I doze and sip. Once I’m really awake, I grab my iPad and catch up on what’s been going on since last night. Usually not too much. Although this morning I was greeted with a photo of my great granddaughter (just turned 1 year old) munching on a waffle. She’s so darned cute even without the waffle!

Once that’s done, it’s time to get dressed. Yup. Haven’t done that yet. And, because I know I will be shoveling and sweating later, no sense taking my shower now. Once the proper ablutions have been completed and the sufficient clothing for today’s temps, I head down to the kitchen for breakfast.

Of course no one is making it for me, but it’s the same breakfast every Sunday morning so I don’t even have to think about it. Sausage patty sizzling in the pan. A small red potato pealed and diced. Toss that in with the patty. Take patty out and put in toaster oven to keep hot. Once the potatoes are done, they join the sausage patty on a plate in the oven. I have already cut some asparagus into small pieces and they are now being sautéed in that same frying pan. Last, the egg mixture is added to the pan and scrambled away. Breakfast is ready and I sit down at the table with the Sunday morning Hartford Courant and enjoy.

Now, here comes the shoveling/sweaty part. Although the landscaper’s crew has been through with shovels and snow blowers, I still have to wade out to my car and start it. I had a dead battery last week and needed AAA to jump-start my car. The battery checked out OK at the dealer’s by the way. But I’m not taking any chances.

While the car is running, I go out back to clear the space for the birds. It’s a large space. It faces north-north-west and the wind was howling like I haven’t heard in a long time. The snow was only about 3-4 inches deep so it didn’t take long to shovel. All the while the birds were cheering me on. Or…was that their way of complaining I wasn’t moving fast enough?

Once the shoveling/sweating is done, the feeders need to be tended to and seed scattered for the ground feeders. Even with all the work it takes to keep up with the feeders, it’s worth it. The birds give me such joy just watching them come in to feed.

Even though these pictures were taken earlier this month, everything looks the same Snow, snow and more snow!

Now all of that is done! What’s next? Sitting in front of the TV with the rest of this morning’s paper and as many basketball games of interest I can find.

So, that’s just me. There are plenty of hardy folks around here who will hit the ski slopes or the hills to toboggan or sled. I might enjoy that, sledding that is, if it was not so cold and windy. I just wish I could get out there and walk! And for those of you who know me, you know I can’t wait to get my bike out and start riding. Come on, Mother Nature! Have Mercy!!!!

PS: Yes, I remembered to turn the car off.