Friday, 1:40 pm: Another very cold week is about over. Yesterday our high temperature was MINUS 2.1° (F.). Any work that was done outside was done in short bursts of speed and energy. The previous days, besides being very cold, the wind blew just about nonstop. Gusts in the high 20s were common with one gust up to 30 mph. It blew so long and so hard that it was difficult to sleep with the north wind pummeling our house. The wind chill was down to -29° (F.).

Luckily today is a relatively warm, 19° (F.) as I type. There is no time to dawdle, because work needs to be done outside. Drifting snow has blocked a few of our walking paths and they need to be cleared. Ice needs to be chipped away and firewood brought inside. I sound like a real working man.

My lackluster energy over the past few days is, today, being bolstered by liberal amounts of caffeine. At least today I can be outside for more than a few minutes at a stretch. Coffee and frigid weather; what a work combination! Onward to my local weather and other uncontrollable things:

Current values from our wireless Vantage-Pro weather station:

Temperature: 18.9° (F.)

Barometer: 30.262 & falling slowly

Humidity: 30%

Wind: NW at 5 mph light & variable

Wind chill: -14° (F.)

Visibility: > 3 miles

Skies: Clear

Precipitation: None

Since midnight:

Low temperature: -7.6° (F.) at 2:08 am

High wind: 16 mph at 9:10 am

Low wind chill: -13° (F.) at 2:37 am