Full Moon

[greenstorm]

Two nights ago at midnight I was out there in gumboots and nothing else patching the fence.

Last night (this morning?) I put a jacket on with my gumboots and patched a different part of the fence in -6C for an hour at 5:30.

The snow has a solid crust during the night now, when it's colder, and the dogs run right over the top. Because the snow is a couple feet deep they can access parts of the fence they normally can't get through. So they've been getting out. Since they chase cars and one neighbour will shoot Avallu on sight, that's not ideal.

But they don't get out, and I can't work on the fence, during the day. Not just because I'm working but also because the crust is warmer and it won't take my weight (and I don't have snowshoes at home). So basically the dogs get out at night, they come to the front fence and bark to be let in because apparently they can't get back in, I let them in, and I use that annoyance to fuel doing things to the fence.

I tried patching the low spot - there's a dip there which fills with snow, but the fence still dips, so it's where they normally goes over. They just ran somewhere else. So this morning I tried shutting off the whole back area with lower fences: hauled a hog panel out, put it across the snowed-open gate; hauled snow fence out and stapled it to the wood fence so they can't get between the rails.

The moon was bright and the snow was basically a polished reflective surface so I didn't need a flashlight or anything, that was pretty great.

Fingers crossed.

I'm also really impressed with the way my body handles the cold here. Except when I broke through the crust and was standing knee-keep in snow, my body kept me pretty well insulated. I was starting to get chilly at the end of the hour out there but that's seriously an hour with no pants in -6. It feels like a superpower since in my twenties I couldn't handle +18 without feeling chilled.

Very much looking forward to getting some fence posts in this spring and getting things a little more functional for next winter.

Edited to add: part of that fence, where I fell through the snow, was also in the roses. My legs will heal, but ouch.

Comments

[yarrowkat]

i hope the fence patching works and the dogs stay in! also i am very impressed with your cold-hardiness. it will be in the 40sF today and i am wearing a sweater and wool socks. ;) (it's opposite, tho - i can work in the 105* summer heat as long as i have a water bottle with me all day. i am actually a lizard.)

[greenstorm]

I hope so too!

I used to do manual labour all summer an had no issues with heat as long as I had a hat, though I did use a ton of workarounds like soaking a neckscarf etc. I suspect those temperatures would take me right out now, though. Body seems to learn. :)

[yarrowkat]

"poor man's swamp cooler," i've heard that called - the trick with the wet cloth around the neck. you see guys on construction crews use their t-shirt that way sometimes. it works! and hats help a lot too, a hat with a good brim all the way around.

the body does adapt. really we are at least as resilient as plants. :)

[amazon_syren]

I love the image of the bright moon and the reflective snow.

[greenstorm]

It's unbelievable how bright it is, the first year here I kept waking up in a panic in the middle of the night because it looked like daylight and I thought I was late for work.