Warm Days Are A Comin'

People, the ones who don't live in Alaska, often ask me how we live when it gets to 30 below and colder. During a mercifully, brief cold snap last week I was thinking about how different it really is when the mercury drops and so I thought I'd share. This is most definitely not "Sarah Palin's Alaska."

First there's the vehicles. Our oldest is the Chevy pick-up, affectionately named Charlotta, who is nearing 30. The newest is the Cavalier which is a mere teenager at the age of 15. In between are the van and Betsy Ford, the dog truck, who are both 16.

A rear seal on the van cracked during the last 30 below temps and it hemorrhaged oil - took 6 quarts to cover the 14 miles from Fred Meyer to home. For now the van is on the injured reserve list.

The timing was good because of the school holiday so we don't need to worry about my transportation to work right now. Darrel drives the car to work and I drive the pick-up when I need to get to town. Which brings me to the next point. Charlotta is old - very old and requires special handling. I have to plug her in for at least 3 hours before starting, cycle the glow plugs twice and then warm her up for at least 20 minutes.

It usually takes me 2 or 3 tries at getting out the driveway because everything is so stiff and when I do get out we clunk, clunk, clunk down the road until the tires have warmed up and resumed their normal round shape. The heater doesn't really work all that well so one is wise to put some handwarmers in their gloves in this kind of cold. And try not to breathe too hard because you'll frost up the inside of the window.

Deep freezes also mean that the propane for our stove no longer flows and meals are cooked on the Coleman camp stove. Ever try to cook a Christmas dinner on 2 burners? Challenging indeed.

We live in an old mobile home built in California for California weather. Hopefully it's our last winter in it. The walls are 2 by 4 and insulation is apparently not a necessity in that part of the world. My slippers are an excellent gauge of the temperature. If they're stuck to the floor in the morning it's at least 30 below.

I can't mop the bathroom floor in the winter because I create an ice rink if I do. We have to use the hair dryer to thaw out the trap from the bath tub so we can shower and the hair dryer also thaws out the hose running underneath the kitchen counter to the outside tap for the dog water.

Ice builds up on the inside of our windows when it's really cold. The hair dryer comes in handy for that too. We put plastic up on the inside of the windows which helps a bit but it's still drafty.

(Darrel melting ice on the kitchen windown)

And the surest sign that it's really cold outside is when I wake up unable to move. Am I suddenly stricken with some sort of paralysis? No. Spud, Snoop, Candle and Solo are all on the bed. This must be what it feels like to be in a puppy pile.

(Snoop is not a morning dog)

Working outside at 30 below requires layers of clothing. As long as I'm moving in that kind of cold I find myself wearing just my Carhartt bibs, long underwear and a heavy sweat shirt. Any more than that and I start to sweat which is dangerous - as soon as you're stationary you cool rapidly and are prone to hypothermia. The trick is to find a good pace that keeps you warm but not overheated. And when you're going to be less active it's time to add the layers.

I guess in the end you just learn to live with what you have. Me, I don't mind the cold. Sometimes it would be nice to be barefoot on the floor, or not have to thaw something out before you can use it but the stuff I get to do here in Alaska and the things I get to see make it all worth it.