Subzero Morning Walks and Cross Country Skiing, and a WINNER

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Are you experiencing cold and/or subzero temperatures where you live? It seems as though the entire North American hemisphere has been experiencing some wild winter weather of some kind in the last few days.  On Thursday we got a few inches of snow followed by icy polar temperatures with the coldest temperature we saw at -23 degrees on Saturday morning....

I love my Thomas Kincaid teapot lamp that I made
sitting with the gorgeous afternoon sunset as its backdrop. 

Yes, we had -23 temperatures here this weekend. On Saturday morning, we saw the coldest temperature that I remember seeing in recent years.  



No matter the temperature - Riley and I walked.  I was bundled up a bit like an igloo, but I was toasty warm, and we walked at a brisk pace.  


Icy cold roads! 

I just love how the rising sun paints the mountains with its rosy glow. 



A neighbor's farm as it sits under the rosy colored skies. 


My faithful walking companion, Miss Riley.  Her paws don't get cold in the snow, as she has fur inside her paws - she loves the snow as much as I do! 


Snow on her nose - always sticking her nose in the snow! 




In the afternoon - we go for a cross-country ski! My first ski of the winter - it was a 
chilly one, at -15 degrees. 


A beautifully cold view! 



It's always nice to come back home after being outside for a hot cup of tea! 
I like my Ingenuitea teapot - it brews a lovely pot of tea :) You may notice
my sourdough starter in the background. 


Our dinner Sunday evening - roasted salmon with vegetables and 
jalapeno poppers - so good! 






With all the winter weather we've been having - we keep two containers of 5 gallons of water ready in case of a power outage.  Thankfully, we have not lost power with the cold temperatures that we have had. Having extra water is always a good thing.  




We also have a Buddy Heater as a backup. It heats our entire tiny home and is an extra heat source for us since we don't have wood heat.  Our home is heated with propane, but that runs on electricity so this is our backup heat source in case of power outages.  We also keep our water lines dripping - both hot and cold water, and thankfully all our water lines have not frozen during this cold snap. So thankful for that! 







With all the winter weather we have been having, I made a short video of 
my walk in the subzero weather! 



This is my newest video - enjoy these worship songs to uplift your heart 
as you praise and worship the Lord who made this beautiful creation for us to enjoy! 


And now, I'd like to introduce the winner of my blog giveaway! I reviewed an amazing 
book written by a friend in an online Writer's Group I am a part of.  Jennifer recently published this book, and I wanted to read, review, and do a giveaway of her book.  Since there is only one winner - I encourage those who haven't won -  please visit her website here:  www.JenniferLSelf.com and get to know Jennifer better. She is a blogger, a homeschool mom, and loves and serves the Lord and her family. You will be blessed to meet her!

Now, without further ado...


THE WINNER OF MY GIVEAWAY IS....




MARI!


Mari left a comment that said: 
Your photos of the area around you are always just stunning! I love the lantern. It's a beautiful keepsake. The book sounds so good!


Mari - please email me your mailing address 
and I will get the book shipped to you!

Many blessings to all of you who have been such faithful readers! 
May you stay warm and healthy in these cold January days! 

Psalms 56:3-4
What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.
In God I will praise His Word. 
In God, I have put my trust: I will not fear
what flesh can do unto me. 

42 comments

  1. Ah, the beautiful trees with snow on them. Thank you for these photos. Yes, it's still very, very cold here too. We've had almost a week of sub-zero temps. Today is supposed to get up to barely above zero for the first time in days before plummeting back down to around -22F Friday night. We'll be long gone though since we leave to drive to Texas tomorrow. Hopefully the pipes don't freeze. We thought we would be leaving the cold behind but it looks as though it will still be cold in Texas too. What a strange winter we're having.
    Blessings and hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. It has been a very strange winter, Betsy! Now it has warmed up and everything is melting. I hope you've had a wonderful time in your travels! Many blessings to you!

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  2. Marilyn, your sub freezing temps make my 14 above like a heat wave! Glad as of you posting, all power was on. That is always a dangerous situation. We keep extra water to for line breaks in the winter. We do have county water lines and natural gas. I enjoy your pictures but not so much to move there, I am afraid, lol. I am glad Mari won the book. You are so generous. Lynn and Precious

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    1. Well, our temperatures have warmed up, and now we are getting rain. This has been an interesting winter, for sure! Winter in Idaho is always a challenge, but I do love it! Blessings to you and Precious!

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  3. Congratulations, Mari!!! What fabulous photos, Marilyn. It is cold here, especially for Georgia, in the low 20s, but no sub-zero for us; I'm grateful as we really don't have a surplus of winter clothes. I sure would love to see some snow, though.
    Stay warm!

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    1. Our temps have warmed up here, to the point of extreme melting, and avalanche concerns. It has been a strange winter! Many blessings to you dear friend!

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  4. Dearest Marilyn,
    That is COLD in your nooks and I still worry about Riley's paws...
    Congrats to Mari for winning the book!
    Wrapping your hands around a cup of tea is such bliss in winter.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Our temps have warmed up! It is now raining, and the snow is melting. Riley has fur in her paws, and she loves the snow. She is a real snow loving dog. Hot tea is the best this time of year! Blessings to you dear friend :)

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  5. Finally someone who actually enjoys the snow! It's beautiful and getting out in it is fun (if you are appropriately dressed for it) While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22) Beautiful post and pictures.

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    1. Love that scripture Debby! Yes, I do love the snow, it brings joy to my heart to get out and enjoy it! I look at winter with loving eyes, and enjoy it so much. But come the end of February, I begin to itch for spring :) Blessings to you!

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  6. How exciting to win this book! As a nurse who works with geriatric patients I feel it will be a great read.
    We are in a huge storm here. It's been snowing since Friday and we've gotten 24 inches as of yesterday. Now they extended the storm watch for another 18 hours.
    It's not as cold as you are, but 8 degrees is chilly here!

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    1. You are a blessing to all your patients Mari! I'm so happy you won the book! I know it will be a blessing for you to read, a very encouraging book! Blessings to you!

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  7. You are determined to walk in that cold weather. Well done, Marilyn. We keep walking despite the weather here too but it’s not as cold as it is where you are.

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    1. Yes, I do love to walk in all types of weather, Marie. It has now warmed up here, and the snow is melting, sadly. It has been an interesting winter, for sure!

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  8. Goodness your temperatures are so low, I can't imagine what it must be like.
    Here in my part of the UK we had -3 yesterday and that was cold enough for me!

    Your photographs are lovely showing a very white world.
    That roasted salmon with vegetables and jalapeno poppers looks delicious.

    Take care, keep warm and well in these January days.

    All the best Jan
    https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/

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    1. It has warmed up here, Jan! The snow is melting, and I'm sad, to be honest! We are enjoying eating keto, we feel so much better! Many blessings to you!

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  9. Congratulations to Mari!! How exciting and you are a brave soul my friend! It’s only 20 snowy degrees here and I’m tucked in with no plans to leave the house until it warms up!! 🤣

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    1. It has warmed up here Kim, and sadly, our snow is melting. I'm glad I did get in a few ski adventures. I do love the snow, but come February, I'll be ready for spring! Blessings to you :)

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  10. We think it's cold here in B.C. but when I read about your temperatures I know we are getting off easy. Although we did have some water pipes freeze this past week. We are expecting a winter storm with lots of snow. Our generator is ready to go if needed. I think your Buddy Heater is also a great idea especially since you use propane. Take care, stay safe and warm 💗

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    1. I'm sorry to hear that your water pipes froze, that is miserable when that happens. It is warming up here now, and raining. It's been a strange winter. The Buddy heater does a marvelous job keeping the house extra warm when it is so cold outside. Many blessings to you!

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  11. All those little things city folk don't have to think about in the winter. :) Smart to keep that water available. I'm guessing the buddy heater runs on batteries? Glad to see all your skin covered for your subzero walks and skiing! We have snow falling here right now.

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    1. That is for sure - so many things that can go haywire with cold weather. Thankful we had no issues this time around. Much to be thankful for! The buddy heater does have batteries. It provides wonderful heat as a backup source, for sure. Now the snow is melting - what a strange winter it has been!

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  12. We have had cold, cold, cold too. But we do not have much snow, still no cross country skiing for us.
    Congratulations to Mari!
    Carla

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    1. It has been a strange winter everywhere, hoping you get to go cross country skiing soon. It is my favorite part of winter! Many blessings to you, Carla!

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  13. That is cold!!! But so beautiful! Thank you for sharing the lovely pictures.
    In my areas of Texas, we got some snow that only lasted for several hours.
    Glad you haven't had a power outage!
    Congratulations to Mari!
    Thank you, Marilyn, for sharing those Scripture verses too. God bless you!
    Valentine

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    Replies
    1. Valentine, I'm thankful you've been okay through the cold snap in Texas. Living there for many years myself, I remember how those cold fronts felt like. Here in the north, we are more prepared for those kinds of temps. Thank you for being a faithful reader! Many blessings to you!

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  14. Oh Marilyn I do not envy you with that below zero cold! The coldest it's gotten here for the last few weeks is -2.... and I've seen it colder here, but that's cold enough for me! My kitties that live in our garage remain cuddled up right next to the heater... and my other two house cats still go outside, but I set the timer for 15 minutes and then they have to come in! They don't seem to mind being in the garage in their beds though and usually come in for 10 minutes and then want right back out! I worry about all the outdoor animals left outside in this kind of weather! We have about 10 inches of snow, but it's melting some today as went from 9 degrees yesterday to 46 today! It's like springtime! But more snow expected on Thursday. I'm amazed that you continue to walk in this sub zero weather! I can see Riley almost smiling as she runs around and chases the "thing" (pinecone? rock?).... ha ha... she's a happy girl for sure. I am still looking forward to living in a bit warmer climate where it doesn't snow that much, though recently, even the coastal area by Astoria and inland has gotten some snow and lots of ice! I don't like hearing that at all! Take care and stay warm.. your yummy meals always make me jealous, they look so good.... hugs.. Marilyn

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    1. It was very bitter cold, while it lasted, about a week. However, now it has warmed up, and is raining and foggy, which makes me sad, as all the snow is melting! Yes, Riley was throwing around the pine cone as we walked, she just loves to do that. She is such a happy girl, I love her dearly. I am hoping that you get to move soon! Do you have a timeline for your move yet? I can't wait to see how it all looks when you get moved in! Our kitties don't like the cold at all, and hate going out. They are NOT snow kitties, lol! Take care, be safe, and many blessings to you dear friend!

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  15. oh yes, this is the season of heavy coats and scarfs and gloves and hats. brisk, crisp air, white snow ... and hot cocoa when arriving home. walking in the door never felt so good!

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    1. For sure it is that season here Linda! Although, in recent days, a warmer front has moved in with rain and fog, and now everything is melting! Such is winter! Many blessings to you dear friend!

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  16. Congratulations to Mari on winning the giveaway! I so admire your courage to brave the elements and keep up with your daily walks, dear friend. You are such an inspiration! Your Thomas Kincaid lamp is so pretty! I am pretty sure we used to own that exact teapot. I know you miss dear Annie girl on your walks with Riley. May the Lord richly bless you today!

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    1. I was so happy Mari won too, Cheryl! I do love my morning walks, they are the best part of my day - the Lord and I walking together! Oh wow - how wonderful that we both owned the same teapot! I loved it so much, and thought it would look so pretty repurposed into a lamp. I do miss Annie so much, hard to believe she has been gone almost a year! Many blessings to you dear friend!

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  17. Minus 23, that sure is cold, Marilyn. I'm glad to hear you haven't got any power outages, but you are prepared, and that's a good thing. Your hot tea must have been so nice after taking a walk in the cold. Such pretty views of the snow, and I love that photo of the red barns. They really stand out against the white snow. Thanks for sharing your walk, Marilyn. You have such a nice companion to walk with. It's pretty cold here too, in the 30's, and we got some snow as well. I'm so glad that we both have a love of this beautiful Winter season. : )

    ~Sheri

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    1. I do love all the four seasons, although I will say that winter generally wears out its welcome sooner than the others! Right now, we have warmed up, and the snow is melting, that makes me sad. I appreciate your kind visits, and comments, they are always such a blessing to me!

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  18. Oh wow I give you a lot of credit for getting out in that cold, I do not venture out in that cold for a walk, especially when it is icy, I am too afraid of falling and breaking something. But it sure is beautiful out there, love the light on the mountains, so nice to have a companion with you that enjoys the snow as much as you do :)

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    1. I have many layers on Connie, which really helps repel the cold. And the views I get to see make it worthwhile! Many blessings to you dear friend!

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  19. Congratulations to Mari! I can just feel the cold in your beautiful pictures! It''s been pretty cold here too but we are warming up to a balmy 21 degrees today!

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    1. It has warmed up here too, Jeannette! It will be 40 by this weekend - amazing. The snow is melting, which makes my winter loving heart sad. But many others are happy, lol! Blessings to you :)

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  20. Hi Marilyn, your photos of the outdoors are beautiful. It requires great discipline to go out for a walk in those cold temperatures. Your teapot lamp is charming and the backdrop of the sunset is stunning. It is so nice to officially meet you here.i appreciate your visit yesterday. I follow you on IG!
    Blessings, Pam

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    1. Thank you Pam for stopping by! It is wonderful to connect with you here on my blog, and on Instagram! Many blessings to you dear friend!

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  21. The cold temperatures have moved on, and now all our snow is melting! Thank you for your visits, and kind words, they bless my heart so very much! Riley and I love our morning exercise routine :) Blessings to you dear friend!

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Your comments are blessings to me, and I appreciate each and every one, they are precious to me! I appreciate you taking the time to comment on my blog... this is what makes blogging worthwhile! Have a blessed day!

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