Cold Enough Already

Impressively, the weather network is reporting our temperature as -42 Celsius today as of 9:00 this morning. I took this picture at sunrise, a few minutes before 9:00 am today:
Mom and dad in BC will probably point out that they are "suffering" at the current temperatures of -9 degrees there. Oh the pity I will have. The car is dodgy these days, refusing to start when it's most inconvenient. I have to try shutting the car door many times because the seals are frozen and the door won't shut. When the car does start, the ride is rough because the tires all have a flat spot where they were frozen to the ground. Besides, the suspension is also frozen.

The dog still sleeps outside in her doghouse, but we let her in to visit us during the day. Of course, she is a fluffy sled-dog type animal and can tolerate the cold very well. The dog-sled races are coming up soon and we've seen some teams training by the side of the highway. It will be fun to see them race, though I hope it will warm up from these frigid temperatures for the big race day.

My Life's Motto

For my birthday, my mother got me this nice plaque on a stake, which I have planted in with a potted tree in our house. Amen. Otherwise, I'd be taking pictures of clean floors and washed dishes, and no one would read a blog like that.

The Hotspot of Saskatchewan

Wow! This morning's weather report indicated that La Ronge was the "hot spot" of the province, at -7 degrees Celsius. We should feel all warm and cozy at that kind of temperature. I should be outside enjoying the balmy air, but instead I am wrapped in a wool sweater, sitting at the computer, and making excuses to stay inside. Perhaps I'll do something active and invigorating, like bake cookies...

In the meanwhile, my amaryllis (part of the office Christmas gift exchange) is blooming beautifully. As much as I may put a lot of time into my plants, I really don't have the interest nor space to keep amaryllis over the rest of the year and I'd rather just get a new one each year, if I do get one at all.