When I lived in Minnesota, cold temperatures were no big deal. You got used to it...your eyeballs felt like they could freeze solid if you stayed outdoors too long, you carried flasks of alcohol in your back pocket to keep away the "snow snakes" and it was not unusual to watch ice melt off the sidewalks in..... June. But heck, that's what Minnesota is supposed to be like. Kansas City is an area where the Civil War was fought. It's semi-southern. This temperature hovering at the zero degree mark for weeks is just not right.
Two weeks ago I took a picture of this guy patiently waiting for the coontina to open while he sat in the falling snow. When I looked at this picture a couple days ago I thought those were the good old days. Why? Because the temperature had dropped even lower than when this picture was taken. How do these cats do it? I worry about their ears getting frostbitten and falling off and all sorts of things.
But yesterday the temperature finally hit the 30 degree mark. And even better, the upcoming week promises to have even more "warm" days. The cats seem to know all about this and have returned to the coontina...last night there were three of them in line. Three of them. Not a very well behaved line but everyone looked good and still had their ears. :-)
This past summer was unusually cool and felt like it was borrowed from another area of the country...some place far north. Guess the weather that was borrowed from this area is being borrowed for the entire year, not for just one season. Brrr. More Brrrr to follow I'm sure.
11 comments:
Lovely black and white Kitty. I am just a little South of you and 45 and mostly sunny today!!!
I know I know I know. It's supposed to be 40-ish today too! I just looked outdoors and everything is still....frozen. Errrgh.
It's been bitter cold and now warming up here too. Those kitties are gorgeous!
So glad things are thawing out in Kansas. That is way too far south for the arctic weather. Idaho had a week of sub zero in December, which we usually do. But another week in January is piling on and uncalled for. When I was a kid on the farm we had cats that lost the ends of their pink little ears to frost bite. Made them look pretty sad.
It went up to 38 here today! This weekend I'm putting on my bathing suit and sitting outside in the sun.
Hilary-They are a handsome group despite scratches all over their faces (they all hate each other). I'm just happy they all got to keep their ears.
Leenie-Today it got up to 45 degrees! I'm such a hypocrite. I'm already missing the snow that melted today even though there is PLENTY more left on the ground.
Oh, poor partially eared cats! I don't think I've seen anything that looks like frostbite. I'm relieved those strays found good places to hide from the cold.
Kate-That's what the girls at the U of M used to do when the temp got above 40. Grab a towel, put on a swimsuit and go lie out in the sun.....on snow. ;-)
My stray, 19 year old Lucille, is also black and white. Must be the "in" color of the streets everywhere. It's freezing down south and yesterday, here at the north pole, it RAINED!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, the only reason Lucille isn't on the streets anymore is that she sneaked back in one too many times after being kicked out even more times. Glad your strays have a caring mom.
Aunt Ellyn-With all the snow and the temperature going above and below freezing for DAYS, there is a LOT of fog out there. Dangerous fog with no visibility on the highways so I've stayed put. I wanted to go out to Kansas to see what that creek looked like with all that melting snow contributing to it but I'm staying put. Too dangerous out there. My friend Meg (who lives in the area) took some pictures of the snow and the fog and oh....it looks so darn pretty out there. I'm not happy about missing out on the photo-taking opportunities for this unusual weather condition. :-/
Rain in the North Pole? Oh that's not good.
The cold weather is very hard on kitties! We're really thankful that you give them a kind word and a bite to eat. They're blessed to have a friend like you:)
T&C-I am questioning the strayness of all three cats. One shows up smelling like cigarettes, one has been incredibly round for almost a year...and the black and white one with the big scratch across his face? He showed up this morning with a blue sparkle collar and a jingle bell.
Maria - I just got back here tonight to laugh at your daffodils on the newer post. I guess you must have gotten outside for some pictures, fog and all. I am grateful that you are wise in your old age, not to go galavanting around Kansas in fog, sleet, snow and whatever. Stay safe, Maria, because I do so enjoy reading about your adventures. Nope, rain at the north pole is NOT GOOD!!!!!!!! Had to send #1 son for salt the other night before I killed myself - hmmm, not so good for the cat mom.
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