This year winter really slammed us here in northern Minnesota. Officially, as of right now, we’ve had snow for over THREE months as we saw our first snow at the end of September. Right before new years we got hit with 16 inches of snow in less than 48 hours and then on new years day I woke up to a temperature of -24 degrees and a -45 degree windchill at 8am.
I received a ton of invites to go out on New Years Eve but, honestly, no matter how I looked at it that just sounded AWFUL lol it was just too cold. In fact, that’s SCARY cold and really dangerous cold.
So, I had myself a glass of wine, managed to make it to midnight and enjoyed a wonderful NOT HUNGOVER new years day! Absolutely NO REGRETS.
This has been a truly abnormally brutal winter (even for us) and knowing that this is abnormal does help A LOT.
At least after that brutal cold it warmed up really fast and we actually saw highs in the 30s lol!
The truth is I lived in the south for years and couldn’t wait to come home. What living elsewhere taught me is that no matter where you live, if you own a home, if you have a job, if you breathe, if you’re a human being, you will have problems, no matter what, totally regardless of the weather.
To be real though we really do have the absolutely worst winters in the country. There is only one month, in all of our weather history, that is hasn’t snowed!
I know many people who leave for at least a month every winter and almost everyone I know would do that if they could afford it. Lots of the small businesses in my town simply close all winter long. We have a tourist season from memorial day to labor day and, pretty much, we work our butts off then lol.
Which is really unfortunate because the months we have the most work to do are the months we should have at least a little time to go outside and enjoy ourselves.
Winters here bother me a little bit more every year as I grow older. (A few years ago nothing could have stopped me from going out on New Years Eve.) As a kid I never cared because I didn’t have to drive in it! And I also wasn’t totally aware of how quickly I would die if I was stuck outside for an hour with no coat on.
I keep blankets in my car and never let my gas tank get lower than a quarter all winter long. If it gets cold enough, no kidding, the gas will freeze in my tank. Having a lot of it in the tank helps. Most everyone I know does the same.
(In this day and age most deaths that occur here because of the cold are like most deaths that occur in the south because of the heat: pure human stupidity.)
Really though, its not much harder living here at minus 30 some nights then it is in any other weather anywhere else. There’s just one thing that sucks, one awful thing. And, no, its not the danger of dying in thirty minutes if I walk outside naked lol I don’t plan on walking outside naked!
No, its just the not being able to leave the house. Its at least three months of moving from one building to a vehicle to another building. Its exhausting, monotonous and damned if I don’t feel like I’m going to die from boredom.
(At least in the south when its hot during the day usually the evenings are bearable and you can still get outside.)
Going to the barn in winter boots and pajama pants. What of it?
And when its that cold and dark out, its also a motivation KILLER. Not only am I bored out of my mind I also don’t WANT to do anything. Cold like we get literally makes me want to do one of two things: Never leave my bed or only leave my bed to get to my couch.
(Check out the California Design Den for more info on my new sheets.)
I try to prepare for winter with things I can look forward to: A new set of white warm sheets for my bed, new zebra print jammie pants (which I also purchased in red and black poka dot because of course I did!) and great slippers. Even a couple new sweaters I finally get to wear now that its cold out helps in a small way like a book series I’ve been looking forward to and, of course, a Netflix show I can’t tear myself away from.
My mom has taken to doing something incredible for me over this last year that I suddenly noticed when winter hit. (I doubt if she even realizes she’s doing it or how amazing it is.)
I have literally spent whole days doing nothing but checking my email and feeding my horses lol I am not good at it… Though I enjoy it… If that makes any sense. I love this new found staying in my pajamas from time to time but I still feel like I should get dressed and get my boots on.
And I really do feel guilty if I “waste” a day off not working on something.
Every single time I have messaged my mom that I didn’t get enough done she has always replied back with, “That’s great!” Or, “Good.” Or, “That’s ok.” Or, “Awesome! Take some time off!”
It is so cool and just what I’ve needed so many times. I am working on doing nothing without regret or remorse. Perhaps I will call that my new years resolution because, especially in the winter months, it can be real hard to get moving!
In our modern times that is literally the worst part of living this far north. We don’t get much sun either and I take vitamin D all year around and I find that that does help a lot.
But, unlike some people I know who live here (who cuss out the weather like its their job) I will always love this state. There is absolutely no denying that even when it is insanely cold outside (or maybe because of) it is always incredibly beautiful.
Oh my! It really is beautiful! I know all about the winters that are devastating cold. Lived in Illinois and Germany. And while Maryland doesn’t generally get that type of cold, there is a lot of snow. So I get it! But with those great sheets, warm jammies, Nexflix, and the internet, I think I would be okay. Just looking out of the window and seeing all of that beautiful quiet white would be music to my soul. But hey, that’s my dream but my reality is that it was 65 degrees today and 2 inches of snow can shut my little homestead down. ๐ Having lived both, not sure which is my favorite, but your pictures make me long for a snowy winter.
Yes it is very beautiful but I admit here in a couple of weeks I am so totally going to be ready for spring lol we’re all hoping for an early spring and I think we deserve it because we totally skipped fall and landed right into winter in September.
Hello up there in FRIGID-LAND! : )
I’m wondering how your horses are doing in this type of COLD. Do you do anything special such as blanketing or are they handling the cold OK without special care..? Our winters are cold but, pale in comparison with the weather and temps that you have up there so, I am curious to know how folks take care of their outside animals when it gets so cold for extended periods.
Have a great day! : )
~ Hope ~
Hi Hope! I am always so impressed with the animals here and how well they do with the cold. I looked out my window that horribly cold morning to see my horses puttering around the pasture like it was nothing. Crazy to me but they do so well its just amazing! And now that I have a shed for them that they actually use I feel so much better about winters now!
-24 degrees? O.M.G. – last Saturday we were out for food supplies and when I got out of the car it was bitterly cold (well, I thought so!) and it was +4. Don’t know I’m born do I?And no snow so far this winter – and here’s hoping on that one!! Keep warm, stay bright, and enjoy those “do nothing” days!! I do a lot of reading in the winter :o)
Thanks Susan, +4 is still REALLY cold! Fortunately we had highs in the 30s after our cold snap which felt SO good after all the snow and cold. I am definitely enjoying my quiet days of reading and netflix but am also glad to have lots of inside projects for this winter. Stay warm!
Really beautiful photos Tarah, and I know they look so lovely but the cold can be brutal. Enjoy your me time, we all need it and it is good for healing the soul. I too have been binging on Netflix these past few days. Watched this awesome documentary called The Minimalists. About what is important or should be important to us. I highly recommend it if you have some time.
Mary, my last binge was Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up, now I need to fold something! The Minimalists sounds right up my ally, thanks for the recommendation!
I live in the south, central Georgia and we avoid the outside even at night in the summer because the mosquitos are awful. They will eat you alive.I have no idea why people love to go outside when it’s 100 degrees and the humidity makes it even worse. That is my time to stay in like you do in the winter.
The pictures are gorgeous but I can see how it would get old because snow and ice hinders progress.
Thanks for coming by Shirley, fortunately for us the bugs have not been as bad the past couple of years (no one seems to have any idea why) I still have a t-shirt though with a giant mosquito on the front of it that says “Minnesota State Bird” lmao so I feel your pain! Hope you had a great holiday!