Dawn shot. Not enough light and snow driving sideways. It stings your face that snow. 19F which is minus7.2C. Note the MINUS as we head out the door. I don’t like the minus. 
This morning, I have discovered that if you have a sneezing fit out in the barn in that kind of cold you get a really sore throat. TonTon and I feed out the hay to the sheep and cows. I have discovered this morning how very annoying it is when a big fat cow knocks the cord out of her outside heated water trough. I have to take both pairs of gloves off so I can get a grip, and climb up onto the frozen trough in icy gumboots with a mixture of snow and cow breathing down my neck, holding the cord, then reach back into the barn to plug it back in. After repeated and very satisfying bashing of the ice with a cement brick (first blunt instrument I could see) and then a couple of buckets of hot water lugged over from the house, poor old Daisy watching closely, she was able to get a drink. Good girl, Daisy.
Then I see that I have forgotten to even plug in the sheep’s water, Mama sighs with her mouth full. More bashing of ice and lugging of warm water but on a smaller scale. Then TonTon and I, carrying a bucket each, our eyes squinting against the snow flakes that look pretty from Inside the house, walk across the field fighting the icy snow laden wind to the Chook House. Hmm. We discover that the gale force winds last night broke their storm door. It is swinging and crashing on us as we struggle in. But maybe we will deal with that one later. I have a collection of old doors in the rat-house. We feed and water the chickens and collect the eggs before they freeze solid. On the way out, I smack the door a few times with a lump of firewood so that it at least closes over the interior screen door, kick a couple of cement bricks free from the frozen ground and lean them on the door to keep it closed. Good enough. I have been out here over an hour. I am very cold now.
I have discovered that the pain in your toes and fingers goes away after a while outside, but when you come back inside your face does not work very well, so it sounds like you have had a stroke. Which is kind of funny but not really. 
I also discovered that with a little more light the camera can see the snowflakes too. Much more fun from the verandah on our way back inside. Though for the moment snowflakes have lost their charm. They are not as soft as they look. Flake is a misnomer. But now for a hot cup of coffee. Really Hot.
Good morning.
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
81 responses to “All Dawns are Not Born Equal.”
Oh no, i hope it warms up soon for you. I will never complain again about getting up early to go to work.
It is going to warm up again at the end of the week, thank goodness.. until them we rug up!! Lovely to see you Noodle! .. c
Beautiful shots but why for did you send the snow in my direction? It belongs much much further north 🙂 t
You got snow as well? oops! c
Now that is cold! I hadn’t even thought about having to keep water warmer for the animals to be able to drink- duh, of course.
Enjoy those hot drinks C… (mines got some fresh lime and ice cubes in it at the moment, 28C and sunny.)
If we don’t heat the water in the winter it freezes solid, like solid, the whole container as an iceblock, so we put livestock heaters in the troughs! So CRUEL of you to tell me what you are drinking! c
That sounds like serious winter setting in. I hope you have plenty of food and fuel and lots of warm clothes. Bon courage for the sorties.
We have piles of chopped wood, and hay and I just put ALL my clothes on at the same time!! c
I don’t think I have ever been outside in minus 7.2 that must be so cold. I hope that the hot coffee warmed you up. Sorry to hear about the sore throat: get well soon.
The sore throat was from sneezing, between each sneeze i tool a big involuntary breath of too cold air.. and i felt it burn! shudder.. c
When they’re teeny, snow needles. When larger, snow shards. You’re right, “flake” is just way too friendly and cuddly sounding for how they feel, ‘specially on the face and neck! Meanwhile, here you are slaving away to keep everybody else in fine fettle and the snow knives are mercilessly attacking you. Some friend, Mother Nature! 😉
I love the shot with the truck. Do you use an in-camera BW mode for shooting BW, or do you convert from color always? (I don’t think my little camera has the BW mode, but I know some do.) I always shoot color and convert, so I can have both if I want and see which is better, and almost invariably the BW version looks a little too insipid and dull so I have to tweak the contrast a fair amount to bring out what I saw in the shot setup to begin with; that’s about as fancy as a camera- and tech-idiot like me gets, though!
Great post. Stay warm, my sweet; as you very well know, it’s *after* the pain recedes in your extremities that they’re most at risk, and we don’t want to be seeing any posts about Fun with Frostbite, now do we??
With B and W I shoot in colour, delete the colour in Photo Shop, then convert to Black and White and then adjust the levels. My digital camera is so old that I am not sure I COULD even shoot in B & W.. I would rather use film anyway if i was doing a B&W shoot.. nothing beats Black and White Film..
Cold: That is what i mean about losing the pain it is like a warning ALERT ALERT!! fingers dropping off!!
c
These are beautiful photos but I really feel for you this morning, I feel like I was their with you, you write so well (that’s if it wasn’t 40 degrees here, in the middle of a heat wave, and no one in my office slept last night). I’ll have a ice water, and you make yourself a nice hot drink…you deserve it!
Aussie is like that, That heat! Glad i could give you cool few minutes! c
Good heavens. I was a little cold here this morning and I think it was like 50 or something. Sheesh. And the only livestock I have to feed is 3 greyhounds. Ha! Take care!
Well those skinny greyhounds would not have liked it here today, they get cold those little fellas.. Take care Melissa! c
We just had very similiar weather here! I love your truck!!!! We have a great old Willy’s truck that I hope to use for the farmer’s market this next year. It’s a bit tough to steer though!
Stacey
Oh those wee Willy’s are so cute, Johns brother has one, taking it to the farmers market is an excellent idea! c
Memories, Celi. As a kid, when the extremities stung, then quit, I knew that meant “danger”. But worse than frozen fingers – my bladder would kick in. Escaping from a snowsuit in that condition made Houdini look like a “know-it-all”.
Oh No.. that sounds terrible,and I am wearing the full sub zero constructions workers outfit.. for little men, (no escaping from it easily either!) so i do understand the problem.I will try to be careful.. i need some decent snow boots.. c
It sure looks mighty cold over your way! Thanks for taking the pics on your way round the animals,they’re great, especially the one with the old Dodge in it.
Work never stops when you have animals to feed and see to, no matter what the weather is doing!
Exactly it is off to work we go and I do not like to be cold so I wear piles of clothing out there.. Thanks for dropping in barb.. c
I couldn’t do what you do. Simple as that. I admire your fortitude and your humour and yes the snowflakes always look way prettier from inside. The bit I don’t like about real cold is when your nostrils snap shut when you breathe and the ice condenses on your gloves.The bits I love are all to do with how it looks and not how it feels. Stay warm and safe, lol Joanna
I dress VERY warmly.. I also hate the cold, so i wear two of everything!! I also hate it if my gloves get wet then freeze solid and i wipe my nose OW! c
Black and white is perfect to capture the morning cold. Well done.
You have beautiful photos from your outdoor adventure! We’ve had bitterly cold temps today – and a little snow tonight – roads are icy!
It is the icy roads that terrify me in my little VW Phyllis. I just don’t go out in weather like this.. c
Your photos really do portray the cold of a Winter’s morning. Nicely done, Celi! We had only a light dusting of snow overnight and our temps bottomed out, as well. It won’t be as cold tonight so maybe your tomorrow will start a bit better. And then temps rise again. What a difference from last year, eh?
Compared to last year we are having the longest autumn in ages. Last year was nasty, I am happy not to repeat it! If we get spring on time i am declaring this a short winter !! YAY.. c