Lessons Learned From The Storm
All bundled up!
More than half a week into the new semester and I have yet to make it to school. A return to the Southern Ontario winters of the past has kept me at home, bundled up tight, and watching the weather from inside of the house as much as possible. On Monday morning it was the dumping of snow – I literally couldn’t get my car through the amount of snow that had fallen (we got off lucky, those north of us got two to three times as much snow). By yesterday it was the blowing snow and the wind chill of -43C that kept me at home. Of course, with the majority of roads being closed out this way, I wasn’t really able to go anywhere. Fearful of frozen pipes and the potential of a power outage, I had the thermostat humming away at 5 degrees higher than normal. Oh the propane we have burned in the past few days! Twitter became my addiction and my way of passing time. I couldn’t get enough of reading about road closures, school cancellations, and anything weather-related.
Now that things are starting to settle, we can dig out and once again be in awe of the power of Mother Nature. The past couple of days reminded me of old lessons I had forgotten, and taught me a few new ones in the process.
Horses Are More Resilient Than Humans
Most horse owners are overly cautious when it comes to their four-legged friends. We worry about things that can go wrong, and dream up circumstances that will never actually happen. We forget that horses have existed, without our intervention, for some time, and that really, when the going gets rough, they can handle it.
When the temperature began to drop, the winds picked up, the snow was blinding, and the wind chill was increasingly unbearable. I started to panic about how the horses would handle things. Without a barn, I couldn’t ensure that they would stay locked up out of the wind and it was driving me crazy. I bedded down the sheds, checked that the water troughs were full, loaded them up with hay, and made sure their blankets were fitting well. I didn’t want to leave them Monday night, and as the wind howled into Tuesday morning, I was bundled up by 5:30 and running out to check on them. They were fine. Absolutely fine. The weather didn’t bother them one bit, and nothing I had feared actually happened.
Lesson: Horses can handle the cold weather. Relax.
Oh the snow. This was after I’d already blown out a path to the horses twice. The snow got so packed that I only broke through the top bit of the snow.
Pets Are As Fragile As Humans
Jack, our Australian Shepherd, loves to go outside. If you walk past the door he will run for it in hopes of being let out. In the past couple of days, he continued to run for the door, but there were several times he chose not to actually go outside. When him and Molly did go out, it was only long enough to relieve themselves. Their feet were cold in no time and they would hop 3-legged back to the door.
Lesson: Just because we bundle up and handle the cold, doesn’t mean our pets can. Keep them inside.
Ice Fishing Will Help You Brave The Cold
By this, I don’t mean that you should be out fishing when faced with absolutely frigid temperatures. Even the hut and heater would not have kept me on the ice the past two days. However, because of ice fishing we have an abundance of clothes suitable for winter weather. From long underwear, to several shirts of different thickness, and a plethora of gloves, hats, and warm boots, we had all the clothes we needed to stay warm and brave the weather. Plus, our experience from ice fishing meant that we knew how to best layer them for maximum efficiency.
As well, when you are used to braving the winter weather every weekend in the hopes of catching fish, it gives you a bit of immunity to the cold, and an idea of what temperatures you can handle. Down to -20C I’ll still be okay. That -43 wind chill though, I knew just how cold that would be, and that I would need to bundle up and be quick on my trips outside.
Lesson: Spend some time ice fishing!
Snowblowers Are Awesome
Where would I be without a snowblower? Either in the hospital or buried under the snow. Shovels are great if you only have a small path to clear. However, if you live in the country, a snowblower is an essential tool. To constantly shovel paths to the horses and other areas would be nearly impossible with the blowing snow we’ve encountered. Although the snowblower and I have not been good friends (it has always preferred Darrell), we made up enough for me to keep paths clear around the property, allowing me to avoid the snow banks that were anywhere from knee-deep to waist-deep. I found this snowblower on Kijiji for cheap, and it has served us well every winter.
Lesson: Save up and buy a snowblower, it makes winter much easier.
We Live In Canada, Winter Happens, Expect It
Winter in Southern Ontario has been pretty mild the past few years. However, we shouldn’t let that lure us into thinking that we won’t experience the piles of snow and freezing temperatures associated with the winters I remember as a kid. Assume that when the weather forecast calls for a winter blast, they might actually be right. It bad weather is in the forecast, stock up on essentials and make plans to be prepared. When it happens, don’t complain. We choose to live here, so we have to deal with winter. Stay off the roads when they are closed, and pay attention to warnings.
While temperatures like those we have experienced in the past few days are good reasons to stay inside, slightly warmer temperatures (like today’s balmy -13C with a wind chill of -22) should be embraced. Go play in the snow, go skating, put on a pair of snowshoes, or best yet, hit the ice and do some fishing.
When I was in elementary school, my absolute favorite days were Snow Days. The buses would be cancelled and only a handful of teachers would make it in. However, living less than a block from school meant my sisters and I had no choice but to go. We spent the days playing broomball, building snowmen, and making snow angels, with the occasional trip into the school to warm up. These are some of my fondest childhood memories.
Lesson: Enjoy winter, it won’t be going away quickly.
The forecast is predicting a much appreciated warming trend for the next few days. It will be a chance to get outside and have some fun before the next deep freeze. However, this wintry blast from the past has reminded me of one the things that makes me proud to be Canadian – our ability to revel in winter. I’m starting to think we should build a rink in our yard, it’s another great winter activity.
argosgirl
Latest posts by argosgirl (see all)
- Book Review: Paddling My Own Canoe by Esther Keyser - October 13, 2024
- Fall Camping at Algonquin Park - October 8, 2024
- Intro to Trolling - September 7, 2024
The snow missed us completely- all we got was the deep freeze. It’s still pretty durn cold- my car said 2F when I was coming and going from the gym, but after -20F or so, it doesn’t seem so bad. The temperatures around freezing this weekend will feel tropical. And trust- we’ll be out on the ice. It’s the Fisheree next weekend I’m worried about.
You’ve guys have been getting out on the ice a fair bit – I’ve really enjoyed reading about your trips. Temps around freezing will be nice, as long as it doesn’t bring freezing rain with it 🙂
Good advice. Yeah the past couple days were pretty cool. Hopefully they represent the bottom of the temperature pit for the year, but you never know. We who choose to live find ways to keep on smilin’.
I’m hoping that will be as cold as it gets, but this winter it feels like anything is possible!