Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Tundra

By tundra I mean my front yard. The twelve inches of snow from Christmas has yet to melt, and we've added another foot since then. Now, before any Northeasterners start to poo-poo our paltry two feet of snow, might I add our projected high temp for the day is 5 Fahrenheit? That equates to -15 Celsius. Then you add wind chill, and our 5 degrees feels like -15 Fahrenheit (-26 Celsius). If you live in Canada, North Dakota, Montana, or Antarctica, mock away. We still have Caribou, Maine beat.

Brrrrr.

So I bring you Jack London's "To Build a Fire". If you've never read it, you're in for a treat. I think H.P. Lovecraft owes a bit to London and other Naturalists--they were the first writers to remind us that the universe doesn't really give a shit.

Have a frosty one.

18 comments:

Cate Gardner said...

Brrr! We're at minus one here with about an inch of snow and it's too much.

Unknown said...

We are at 39 degrees here in the ATL and we're expecting at least a half inch of snow on the ground this evening. People all around me are going into shock. That's the South for you.

Jamie Eyberg said...

I love that story. Factually untrue, with the spit cracking, but fun to read anyway. I won't mock you. We are getting hit by the same system.

Brendan P. Myers said...

Nope. Nothing at all wrong with the climate.

Nothing at all.

Alan W. Davidson said...

No mocking from this corner. We've been quite a bit above freezing since Christmas and the snow has all melted. They saw it has to do with some guy called El Nino...

Somebody told me that our +3 Celcius on Monday matched the high in Tampa, Florida. People should just winter here (never thought I would hear myself say that).

Unknown said...

Hello, cold! It might not be the best time to mention this, but we dipped below 70 here. :) I'm cheering!

Aaron Polson said...

Cate - I've heard about the unsual snow you've been having in the UK. What gives?

Jeremy - It's all what you're used to. We haven't had snow like this since the 80s.

Jamie - I used to open the window in my classroom when we'd read it. Something like 3-D literature.

Brendan - Nothing at all. Heh.

Alan - I'd consider wintering there, this year at least.

Nisa - The weather's all mucked up. I'll think happy, 70 degree thoughts. ;)

Fox Lee said...

I grew up on nature pograms. They were far more violent than any of the shows my mother kept me away from!

Elana Johnson said...

Okay, you've got me beat. Our snow usually melts the next day and it's still here. Today we're going to get up to 32 though. I love it when it's above freezing.

Stay warm!

Jeremy D Brooks said...

Yu-hu-u-uck...I don't even like reading about those temperatures.

Cate Gardner said...

As we're not used to snow in the UK (the last time I remember thick snow is the 1970s) everything has pretty much ground to a halt and everyone has locked themselves indoors. I don't imagine modern day folk would survive the blitz.

Jodi Lee (Morrighan) said...

Wait'll you hit -42F w/windchill. I think it's -31C right now and folks are gathering a few towns over for an outdoor carnival thing to celebrate the Olympic torch going through.

We're going over tonight (hence the -42F comment) for a freaking concert. Thankfully I can claim old age and go for coffee. ;)

Aaron Polson said...

Natalie - Nothing like a lion taking down a baby Zebra.

Elana - I want above freezing. It. Will. Happen.

Jeremy - Good thing you live in the desert, then. So. Very. Cold.

Cate - Yikes. We have one of those: don't stay outside longer than 15 minutes or you could lose a body part to frostbite warnings. The wind is the real problem.

Jodi - You win. Maybe folks think the torch will help keep 'em warm?

Anonymous said...

I was saying to a friend only yesterday, I don't know why people get so uptight about the cold. Then today the water froze in the pipes leading to my property and we've been without all day. I've tried all sorts of solutions but somewhere underground my water is either solid ice or spilling out of a burst pipe! To cap it all the local water authority emergency line is an answer phone.

Aaron Polson said...

Michael - Hope the water gets fixed soon. I've had a busted pipe before...no fun at all.

K.C. Shaw said...

OMG, I would die if I had to live where you live. I would simply give up all will to live and drop dead. I'm coming close to it now, and it's only 29 F and we got maybe half an inch of snow.

"To Build a Fire" has always creeped me out thoroughly since I first read it in fifth grade.

Anonymous said...

I'd mock you, but I don't live in Canada anymore and wear gloves in 15 degree (celcius) weather, LOL. So yeah I better not.

PS: I love "To Build a Fire" awesome story!

BT said...

Yes, I'm late to the party again.

Currently outside is a stupid 43C (109F). This is day three of 40+ temperatures. My wife is looking longingly at the snows in the US and UK.