Preparing For Coldest Island Temps Yet
Greetings from the island. I hope that all of you are doing well and survived the frigid cold that we had this past week.
As I sit here at my little kitchen table on the 13th, ( Happy 59th Birthday to me ), the arctic cold is set to really start arriving tomorrow afternoon, Valentines Day. The cold blustery winds however, showed up a few days ago and have dropped the wind temps down into the low-mid 20’s, that’s what 25 mph winds do when it’s already dang cold. Unfortunately, the coldest temps have yet to get here, and the forecast shows it to be 21 & 23 degrees the next several nights, and that’s not factoring in the wind! Geez!! If these temps hold true, it will be the coldest temperatures I’ve seen since living on the island.
In preparation, I’ve gathered up lots of grass/hay and covered the floor of the chicken coop for the chickens, ducks and guineas, in hopes that it will keep them warm enough. I’m sure that they will be fine, their thick layers of feathers can withstand a lot of cold. On Valentines afternoon I’ll disconnect the water pumps for the outside underground well and the one for the rain tanks, and open all of the faucets inside and outside of the house to drain them. If I don’t do this, the pumps and any exposed pvc pipes will surely crack.
I should have enough propane for heat to last me through this unprecedented cold spell, at least I sure hope so.
Living on the coast of south/central Texas, and especially out on a barrier island, we simply are not used to these frigid temps down here, experiencing them maybe only every dozen years or more. I don’t see how those people up north deal with those god-awful winters every single year. I’ll take the heat and sweat and mosquitoes over that frigid bone numbing blizzardy mess any day!
Well that’s gonna be it from the island for now, I gotta go make sure that I’m properly prepared for the extreme cold headed this way. I’m sure this time next week it will be back to sunshine and warm, just gotta make it through this arctic blast first. Everyone take care and stay toasty warm.
