Real winter weather

It's frigid again in South Carolina, and for the second time in two weeks there's snow in the forecast. Today has been wet and cold--cold enough to chill you to the bone! And we've had record low temperatures, too. Tonight is supposed to be back down in the teens again, and since ice and snow are expected, we're on a two hour delay for school tomorrow (if we end up going at all).

I like it. It feels like a real winter for a change.

Ice on my car's windshield early yesterday morning.

Hopefully we'll have a good peach crop this year. The past two winters have been too warm for the peach trees to achieve the level of dormancy needed to produce good fruit. Everyone thinks of Georgia as the "peach state" but actually South Carolina produces more than they do! It's a real blow to farmers around here to have major crops ruined year after year by the lack of cold. I think this year will be much better for them.

We've gotten more use out of the fireplace this year than ever before. I love sitting beside a warm fire on these cold nights! I've been cooking and baking a lot, too, which helps warm up the house. A big batch of chili is bubbling away in the crockpot as I type this, and I'm thinking of making a couple of loaves of banana nut bread later on. Our freezer is full of individual servings of homemade soup that I've made since Christmas. Occasionally I'll bake something special, like an iced chocolate loaf cake or rice krispy treats, just for fun. I'm trying to take it easy on the sweets, though, and mostly try to concentrate on healthy, warm, "real" food.

One thing I dislike about the weather this winter is how often we've had to miss our nightly walks. It's bad for us and it's really bad for the dogs. They're so bored when they're cooped up inside, and George especially needs and outlet for some of his energy. He gets wild and eventually annoys the crap out of Ginger, so then she has to put him in his place--which she is really good at. She's definitely the alpha of the two, and has no problem correcting him when he really needs it. It's funny to see him acting like an abashed (88 pound!) puppy! They get along better when they're out walking every day, or can at least go out in the back yard in the afternoon, but all that is impossible when you're getting cold rain, ice, and snow or the wind chill is in single digits.

As much as I appreciate a real winter, I think I'll be extra glad to see Spring arrive this year.  What about you? Do you love the winter, or count the days until it's over?