Arctic Blast

We've had a fairly mild winter so far this year.

Don't get me wrong--no one is going to mistake our town for the tropics,

but we haven't had many of the bitter cold days that can make winter feel bleak and miserable.

Then temperatures abruptly took a nosedive this weekend.

Nighttime lows will return to the more civilized 20s in a couple days,

but tonight it's 13 degrees BELOW zero . . .

. . . with a wicked windchill

(see crazy number in lower left corner).

A notice from the Weather Service warned that exposed skin could develop frostbite

in as little as 10 minutes at these temperatures.

Needless to say,

we are holed up indoors tonight,

with our pellet stove burning merrily . . .

. . . and a space heater going in our dining room

to keep our little parakeets from getting dangerously cold.

When my ministering sister texted to make sure 

we were prepared for this weekend's "arctic blast,"

she jokingly asked if she should bring us any hot cocoa.

I assured her we were all set on that front.

"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."