Winter's tight grip

 

I put my Valentine's Day lilies outside on the deck the morning I left. They were still beautiful, but almost at that falling apart stage so I didn't want to leave John a mess on the table. And doesn't it look warm and springlike in Seattle?

Ha. Not so fast. The latest wind storm blew them off the railing, followed by light snow yesterday. That didn't last, but the cold temperatures have, and it seems like the entire west is frozen. They're even talking about snow in San Francisco, an unheard of thing. 

In Twisp, a high of 19 degrees today. There are some disadvantages to manufactured homes, but the newer ones are incredibly energy efficient. 

The snow has melted (or slid) off the other roofs on our street, mainly from wasted heat escaping through the ceilings. Our roof still has a foot of snow. If you open the door for even a few seconds, the furnace immediately comes on. Like when I peeked out at the Twisp Cross this morning.

We have a forced air electric, a bit noisy, but it keeps every corner of the house warm. I have it set at an extravagant 68 degrees during the day.

Without any alternative type of heat, like a wood stove, things would go south fast if the power ever went off for an extended period. This is a bit unnerving, but fortunately seldom happens in the winter, at least in the city limits. 

And thanks to our PUD of Okanagan County heroes. Here in the electricity-generating, dam-filled Columbia basin, rates are relatively low and many people completely dependent on electric heat. Not just the young, hale and hearty live way out here, there are many old folks who do just fine. But you have to tough as nails. This ain't Florida.

Amanda is working from home today, so I'll walk up to their house (burrr!) and borrow the car to stock up on groceries before John arrives.