Is it nice in your Snowstorm, Freezing your Brain, part 2

We've had such cold temperatures the last few days that it's been a real struggle! I stayed home from work on Tuesday because of the snowstorm. Yesterday, when I went out to my car to warm it up, it wouldn't start. I waited for a couple of hours and, although the temps didn't go up much, the sun was shining and it warmed the car up enough to start. Midmorning, I headed out. It's always scary driving along the highway running past my house after it snows because there are lots of hills and, without fail, a car or two get ditched along the side. This time, I saw one at a good slant in a snowbank. The highway department usually forgets to sand our highway, or it just doesn't do any good with the heavily blowing snow. The last hill always feels like a toboggan run as you come down towards the stop sign at the intersection of another major highway. As soon as I hit the roads I thought about turning around but I decided I could do it. All the way, I was using lower gears and praying that I wouldn't slide out.Whew, I didn't!  The freeway wasn't  much better. I shimmined on the snowpacked freeway and was thankful the traffic was light. For eighteen miles I drove along snow packed and icy roads all the way to the city limits. I don't really mind driving in bad weather but I am afraid to wreck my car. It's got minimum insurance coverage so any damage is my problem and I can't afford it.

I spent the day trying to catch up on my work and around four o'clock my son called. He was frantic. He said that he heard running water. Uh oh!! He went into the kitchen to a good inch of water on the floor and more coming. I hung up with him and called the water company. I packed my things and said a hurried good-bye to the skeleton crew of  fellow workers. One employee had called in with furnace trouble. One of them had called in with frozen pipes. It's been that kind of week around here. By the time I got home, the water had been turned off and he was finishing mopping up the floor. Now, EVERY towel in the house is in the bathtub sopping wet. No problem- I'll just wash them. CAN'T!  "Well, I told my son, just think of the pioneers. They didn't have running water. At least I stopped and bought a gallon of water on the way home. And look outside, we've got plenty of snow."

I think the outside faucet is the culprit. This morning, I noticed an icicle hanging from it.

Okay, so I began melting snow on my wood stove which is still going strong, thankfully! Do you know how much snow it takes to make water?? At least I can get water for the dogs and cats but the horses? Uh oh, how do I get the horses water? I think the high yesterday was 8 degrees! As soon as they have water it freezes. Yesterday, I took a jug out in the morning and my son took two in the afternoon so they're not dying yet.

The dogs don't hardly go outside. Buddha cries in pain because his feet are so cold and even Sandy keeps her romps short.

My mom told me this morning that since yesterday her pipes are frozen. I'm praying they don't break! I need to call a plumber now but I have a feeling it's too cold for them to work. Gosh, this has been my longest winter!!!

Update- so I went out to start my car for work and neither car will start! How do you do it, North-Easterners? How do you get your car to start in cold weather? I looked at my thermostat and I thought, "Gosh, it got up to 23 degrees during the night. How is that possible? And then I looked again and it's -23! Currently, it's 2 degrees. Hopefully, in an hour or two, with the sun shining, my car will start and I can go to work for at least a few hours.


Is it nice in your Snowstorm, Freezing your Brain - song: Sweet Thing, Reprise, artist: David Bowie, album: Diamond Dogs