-12* here this morning. I don’t even know what the wind chill was last night, but it howled around the house and made the skylight in the bathroom squeal, scaring the pants right off the girls and requiring me to accompany them to the potty so nothing would “get” them.

We’re expecting more snow tomorrow, so even though it was wretchedly cold today, the girls and I made a trip out to story hour, lunch and then the grocery store. However, it was one of those trips where you leave wondering if you even bought anything to eat. Keep your fingers crossed that I actually prepared us for a snowstorm. I know we have milk and bread and eggs, meaning at least we can eat French toast.

I went outside yesterday to count the chickens and close the coop for the night, and decided that the vent above the door was too big for the frigid temperatures we were expecting. Naturally, Fixer Man was at work, his tools were in his truck (at work), and I had no materials. With waning light and numb fingers, I hammered a sheet of cardboard over most of the opening, securing it with thumbtacks. Classy. It did the trick however, and all five chickens were alive this morning. Or maybe my ridiculous efforts did nothing and they all would have been fine anyway. Perhaps this was the chicken equivalent of your mother saying, “I’m cold; go put on a sweater.” Either way, I felt better.

How are you faring in your neck of the woods?