[Magdalen] Winter Blahs.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

It was 2 F for a low last night which was the coldest so far this  winter.
I hate to turn on the general electric heat in the house, though I do have  
it
turned on in the two bathrooms.  There's nothing quite like sitting on  an
ice-cold toilet seat.
 
I otherwise heat with the two propane fireplaces, but in this weather  they
don't quite fill the bill.  The temperature in the downstairs this  morning 
was 61 F.  Actually, though, we've put on sweaters and bulky, heavy  
trousers,
and it hasn't been that uncomfortable, and now, just after noon local  time,
it's up to 65 F in the house and 22 F outside.
 
As sorry as we feel for ourselves, I am reminded by the weather  statistics
that in 1988 the low for this date was -15 F.  I lost two trees in '88  (a 
Leyland
Cypress - Cupressus leylandii, and an Atlantic Blue Cedar (Cedrus  atlantica
glauca), and all my viburnums froze down to the ground.  The  viburnums
came back, but not the trees.
 
To show the general warming trend, these below zero winter  temperatures
which were rather common, have been completely absent for the last 15  
years.
 
We've gone from USDA Climate Zone 5b to 6a.
 
 
David Strang - At the edge of the Poconos of  Pennsylvania.