I stood at the bus stop this morning, a chill in the air
and a suspiciously autumnal look to the sky and thought to myself, ‘Now where’s
my mittens?’
Wait. Mittens?
It’s a full 30 degrees colder this morning than it was
just two weeks ago.
Oh, September, you sly little thing you.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I stand before you, a
woman covered fore to aft in layers upon layers of thick, weather-defiant
clothing.
In September.
The Farmer’s Almanac, always disturbingly accurate,
predicts another dreadful winter, much like last year’s dreadful winter, only
with more snow.
“This is the first year,” my son says, “that I’m not
looking forward to winter.”
“Me, too,” I say.
“There just wasn’t enough summer,” he says. “I’m not sick of it yet.”
And ain’t that the truth.
Of course, it goes against the code, living in Minnesota,
to face an upcoming season in this manner.
We’re a hardy people, dammit, and buck up, won’t you? Why, our great-grandmothers hung wash that
froze on the line! They subsisted on animals
they butchered themselves and root vegetables they kept in a root cellar!
They wrested a living out of the land – frozen and
unfrozen – with nothing but steely determination; large, well-muscled sons; and
the knowledge that there was nothing they could do about it!
It was 42 degrees at the bus stop this morning.
If you need me, I shall be in a hot bath until
spring.
35 comments:
We are having a big cool down this weekend, into the mid 80's. And I'll probably be looking for my mittens, too, my hardy friend.
Bless those hardy forebears, and turn up the thermostat!
I'd feel sorrier for you were it not 19f. right now at 8:30am. Plus it snowed yesterday.
The difference between the twin cities and here is it starts earlier and lasts longer here, and it's colder.
I with you sister...we had the winter from Hell followed by the summer that wasn't and now we're into early autumn. Dang! It's the ice age again .... hitch up the mastodons.
I think we still haven't recovered from last winter. It went on too long and the summer didn't really cooperate either, it being too cold. I really, really hope they are wrong about this winter. I don't know if the gardens or the animals can take it. Hell, I don't know if I can. :(
Snap out of it Pearl, you're a hardy people dammit!
same here. The pool water is starting to get cold! ;-)
Maybe if you guys would SHARE some of that moisture with those who grow your avacados, citrus etc I'd be more sympathetic.
What?! Turn on the furnace in September?!
I have a reputation to (painfully) uphold!!
I was just thinking of getting, maybe, a couple more cats. :-)
And thank you, everyone, for being so patient with me. I know I haven't been around much -- the new job consumes all my time -- but please know your continued support is noted and appreciated.
I owe you all a beer. Or a sandwich. Your pick.
Cooled down here some. Didn't keep me out of the pool, though. I jacked that dial up to 86!
I dream of the chill, wearing mittens, tossing my flip flops to the back of the closet. Weather here in southern OR is unprecedented: mid- to high 90s every single stinking day. Sick of summer doesn't even come close...
Hari OM
Yayyy picnic in the onsurging winter... great idea Pearlie!
Two weeks ago there was such a slump in the temps I HAD to put the central heating on. One Night Only, mark you. Back to blankets and bed sox otherwise. The odd hottie bottle and heat-sack or three. Am crocheting blankets. As a 'hardy' Scot there WAS a reason I moved to Australia; am being reminded of that this summer back in the old country... YAM xx
I'm of the very hardy, don't turn on the furnace until November stock myself, and this morning found myself in a discussion with another hardy stock person. We're thinking of reconsidering.
"thinking of getting more cats"
Pearl, you said the magic words. I'm mailing you two critters as we speak. You're welcome.
I don't think there's a summer short enough or cool enough to bother me. This one was no exception. Why can't the temperature just go to a nice 17C (63F) and stay there?!
You can have my sun, it's not welcome 'round these ere' parts.
And out here on the left coast, we're having a heat wave - temps in the triple digits for the weekend! That, too, is odd for September - however, wusses that we've become, we won't be seeing you in MSP until end of March - love ya -
If only I could give your our summer...
I don't think I can handle another of those winters. Ugh.
Please let the Farmers Almanac be wrong, I honestly do not think I will survive another awful winter like last year.. I may hibernate until it is over.
Summer was much too short :(
I, too, am praying that the Farmer's Almanac is wrong...I will not survive another crazy, Southern winter; I just know it.
Twenty-eight at my house this morning. The first hard frost. Supposed to be mid-sixties by Monday. Ah, the manic countenance of autumn ;).
I'm putting the blanket back on the bed tonight. I was cold last night!! What gives? Where did summer go already? We hardly had any, it seems. Sigh. September is so sneaky.
I always want to have a winter with NO SNOW!!
A 30* drop in just two weeks?
:o
suddenly I'm glad I live in Australia. It gets mighty hot here in our dry summers, but we don't get such extreme temperature changes in such a short time. I've heard from others that you are expecting a harder winter than last year, I didn't think that was possible :(
better find those mittens and line them with lambswool.
while not as cold here in the mitten state we too experienced the cool down. I can not lie I am ready for this dreadful summer to be over. Hopefully next year will be better. I will say the cool crisp air sent a chill up my spine and I could not help but to think of the upcoming hunting season and deer camp. Pumpkins, cider, donuts, Oktoberfest...
should have been down here the last three weeks or so. you'd have been well ready.
I am no longer hardy since we hardly had a summer. 14 Fridays until Christmas, BRR!
It was just a hair above freezing at the coldest part of the night.. it's been 43F (6C) all day. We had the A/C on just two days ago. I refuse to put the heat on in September. REFUSE.. until I wimp out later tonight.
You've given me a preview of what's coming to Maine, soon!
You've given me a preview of what's coming to Maine, soon!
One more cat coming your way from Canada, Pearl, :)
We're also not having so great weather where I come from. I guess we're at opposite ends of the spectrum. Maybe we can both find a way to enjoy whatever we have :)
I remember .. how many years ago ? ... I read your blog for the first time.. You were talking about the elevator in your office building and how cold it was in Winter. It sounded dreadful ... the cold did.
It doesn't seem fair that your winter should already be creeping up on you .. Our trees haven't even changed colors yet ! I am in no hurry at all for winter .. last year put the Fear of Winter in me.
We have to find a warm place to run away to when the cold gets to be too much. a cat friendly place.
Have a good Monday ~
Pearl was raised by people's who's parents raised kept root vegetables in root cellars. Periodically, they would open the door to the root cellar and lower down a basket with lotion and they would tell the root vegetables, "it puts on the lotion. It puts on the lotion or it gets the hose." When it got cold, like frozen cold, and they couldn't find their mittens, they would stand on the porch, stare out over the frozen tundra, then shrug and break out in song. "Let it go, let it gooooo". That's how tough they were. The root vegetables would hear that and put on the lotion. They knew they weren't dealing with Floridians here. And by the way, your blog has disappeared off my blog roll. Well, technically, my whole blog roll has suddenly disappeared. I had nothing to do with it. Please don't make me put on the lotion.
I'm not ready! We had a light snow and heavy frost - now it has warmed up a bit outside, but my house remains chilly.
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