It's not even technically winter yet!! It's still December 13 and winter begins on December 21, officially. I know not many people will feel sorry for us South Floridians, but feel free to feel sorry for my flowers, my plants and the critters that are here and may not be able to withstand freezing temperatures.
It's been a lot of years since South Florida has had temperatures like this before Christmas. And back then, I didn't own a back yard full of butterfly and hummingbird plants, most of which determinedly like warmer temps.
So tonight, when I get home from work, my husband and I will take the blankets and sheets (pretty much the sum total of my "linens") that I folded and left on the porch from last weeks cold weather(why put them away when more cold temps are coming??).....unfold them and attempt to drape, pin and tie them over my large and small vulnerable bushes. We have to get out the ladder so my husband can throw a sheet over the top of the trellis.
It's supposed to be very windy tonight - so others in the neighborhood could be watching my sheets fly by in spite of whatever we do to keep them in place.
I love cold weather. I love when it gets into the 50's at night. To us, our critters, the wild things and the plants - that's cold enough. You get a little cozy inside, you have some hot chocolate, you maybe go for a brisk walk to enjoy the cool air - and you sleep with the windows open to get that crisp, sweet air flowing over you as you put a few extra blankets on the bed.
I do NOT love it when it gets into damaging temperatures. The farmers down here have lots more at stake than I do. I may not have enough blankets to put some extra on my bed because they'll all be in the back yard. It sure looks funny when the bushes are all covered up. I'm not taking the sheets and blankets down tomorrow morning either - it's going to be just as cold tomorrow night, so the bushes get to huddle in the sun tomorrow with their "coats" on.
I wish I could just press a button and a giant dome would rise up out of the ground just in front of our fence on both sides and keep going until both halves meet in the middle. Voila - house and yard in a bubble. Or just yard. Then we could control the temperature, much like a greenhouse - and we wouldn't have to fumble around in the wind on ladders with sheets, blankets, safety pins and clothes pins.
I can hardly wait for January, when it is normal for us to get a few extreme cold fronts. The fact that it has begun in December does not bode well for the rest of the winter.
2 comments:
This has been an unusually bad December for us in the Midwest, too.
The worst of the winter storm-blizzard missed us over the weekend but it still damaged our garage door and our car doors were frozen shut this morning.
Much more like January than December!
Wow - damaged your garage door! My hubby and I were out there battling the cold wind with sheets, blankets, safety pins and clothespins. We did our best. Whatever happens, happens.
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