Looking for my thermals, and I am doing OK.
There is some extremely cold air coming our way in the next few days and we are being told that it might go to where it has never gone before, temperature wise. To those in the Midwest who might look at us Pennsylvanians as wusses because they are suffering with -50 F and ours is only -6, I’d bow to you but I don’t want to freeze in that position. You do have my sympathy though.
People will be coming over on Sunday to watch the Superbowl game and the warmth of friends will be all I need. I so enjoy company and being around those I love. Retirement can be lonely, especially after having an always busy life. The winter always seems so long and the Big Game is a good excuse to have a party and forget about the cold outside.
All those with a beating heart need companionship of some sort, even if they are not of the same species. Warmth comes from inside and outside our bodies. We live longer, are happier, and our brain lasts longer. Our four legged friends know this.
Then there is us, an old married couple. It was really cold outside so I thought I would put my boa on.
Stay warm, cuddle up with a warm blanket, read a good book, or do a marathon of Netflix films. Better yet, call an old friend.
There is some extremely cold air coming our way in the next few days and we are being told that it might go to where it has never gone before, temperature wise. To those in the Midwest who might look at us Pennsylvanians as wusses because they are suffering with -50 F and ours is only -6, I’d bow to you but I don’t want to freeze in that position. You do have my sympathy though.
People will be coming over on Sunday to watch the Superbowl game and the warmth of friends will be all I need. I so enjoy company and being around those I love. Retirement can be lonely, especially after having an always busy life. The winter always seems so long and the Big Game is a good excuse to have a party and forget about the cold outside.
All those with a beating heart need companionship of some sort, even if they are not of the same species. Warmth comes from inside and outside our bodies. We live longer, are happier, and our brain lasts longer. Our four legged friends know this.
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| Caesar, the cat, doesn't know he is different than Champ and Brandy. He loves them and appreciates that they keep him warm. Friends do that. |
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| He just needs to be in charge |
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| Ellie and Finn are siblings and could not be more different looking and in temperament, but family is family and they would be lost without each other. |
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| A family of semi-feral cats who need each other (and us) to survive. They are needy and I love to be needed. |
Then there is us, an old married couple. It was really cold outside so I thought I would put my boa on.
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| Yes, it is real. This was not on my bucket list, but it was fun. |
Stay warm, cuddle up with a warm blanket, read a good book, or do a marathon of Netflix films. Better yet, call an old friend.
Great pictures with the boa! Keep warm.
ReplyDeleteShe (I was told) was a beauty, and felt like a very good shoe. They wanted to give me the head (because it was lighter) but I was more comfortable with the other end.
DeleteHi, Arleen!
ReplyDeleteFor the first 34 years of my life I was your Pennsylvania "neighbor." For the last 35 years I have lived in Florida. At a time like this, with a bitter cold wave heading your way, I am thankful to be down here. I hope you get through it AOK and that your Super Bowl party goes as planned.
I must tell you how much I love these pictures of your animals. They are wonderful as are your musings about how different species need each other, help each other and learn to get along - a simple concept too many humans cannot or will not embrace. I couldn't help noticing that your boa doesn't have any feathers. :)
Stay safe and warm. The groundhog will soon be giving his annual prognostication and, with any luck, he will not see his shadow and will predict an early spring.
Take care, dear friend!
Right now, I wish I was in Florida. However, t3mos are going to rise 70 Degrees next week so I look forward to that. Pennsylvania always has surprise weather and I am crazy enough to love that.
DeleteStay warm. When I woke up today it was 2 degrees, -14 with wind chill. We're now up 14 degrees, wind chill -2. A heat wave. Love your pictures. What beautiful floofy semi-ferals.
ReplyDeleteIt will be better next week and I love how things can change so quickly here. It keeps you guessing (including the “expert weather people).
DeleteWe have warmer temperatures today and they will be warmer still tomorrow. You have that to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteIt will be here justinti e for my party. That is a relief.
DeleteBeen watching the news about the big freeze in the Mid West and my heart goes out to them. It's -6 degrees here as well and it feels soooo cold. Love your pictures xxx
ReplyDeleteOur temperatures started to rise a little today and they are predicting very warm weather next week. No mater all the technology we have today, Mother Nature still rules.
DeleteI hope you are doing well, Molly. I think of you often and hopee llife is treating you well.
Here it's -7 outside but it's cosy and warm in the house.
ReplyDeleteGreat photographs of all the animals. X
I am doing the same as you, Jules, and staying inside with the fireplace on for extra atmosphere and heat. It is going to start to warm up tomorrow, and I will go outside to shovel the new snow we got today.
DeleteYou make it warm and cozy with your wonderful pictures. And we're not wusses here in the foothills of the Adirondacks. I learned how to spell the word back when I did art shows and instead of struggling with it, I learned it. Ad-iron-dack. We're tough here on all fronts. Keep your boa warm.
ReplyDeleteIt was very cold today but I had to work and stupidly ran outside without a coat to help others. It was not so bad because I was doing something instead of worrying about myself. Yes, Joanne, we are stronger than others think and we are survivors. Old people rock!
DeleteA lovely, heart-warming post.
ReplyDeleteLove the boa shot, though I have difficulties with snakes (perhaps because so many of ours are VERY venomous).
Stay warm - externally and internally. And thank you.
She was beautiful. I was a little nervous about it but then I thought it was an opportunity to face down a fear. It was a lovely moment. I love nature and any drug they gave her to fight her natural instinct.
DeleteYour personal warmth shines throughout the post. It is a sweltering 50 degrees here but I am taking it bravely.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter in CA bragged yesterday to me that they spent last Sunday on the beach in Santa Cruz. It was 70 degrees. That is the same as summer there and way too cold for me. I say that because I am jealous of all the wonderful things that California offers. Enjoy, Geo, you live in a wonderful state.
DeleteHow lovely to see all your furry friends! (Not quite as keen on the scaly fellow; you are very brave for letting him around your neck!) What do your semi-feral cats do when it is so cold out? It's such a worry when the weather is extreme, and there is a lot to worry about: people, pets, ferals, wild birds and animals . . .
ReplyDeleteStay warm and safe, Arleen.
We have insulated houses filled with straw under our deck that is surrounded by lattice to keep most of the wind out. Food is provided 16 hours a day. They live very well and enjoy more than my two inside cats do. I worry about them but they have lived a happy cats life roaming, climbing trees and eating expensive (only the best) cat food a feral has ever had. The cat motel under our deck is rated 4*s.
ReplyDeleteFour stars sounds right! Thank goodness for those like you who look after the outdoor cats.
DeleteI love to see Cats and Dogs getting on together so well. Mine never really did; just pretended.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son introduced Caesar, who was a small kitten, to his dogs a few years ago, Champ, the big lab, became his best friend. They are often cuddled up together and it is lovely to see.
DeletePutting your Boa on, how it made me Smile! And that Banner pix with your Kitties is precious! In fact, all of the Fur Babies, yes, their companionship is so instinctive with us isn't it, they seem more Aware than even most Humans are of the necessity of interactions on the most visceral levels.
ReplyDeleteAnimals bring out the best in us and show us how easy it is to love and get along. Every now and then I will see the cats swat each other but a little while later, they are curled up together. They are family and need each other.
DeleteYes, it is wonderful seeing them getting on like that and you certainly care for a lot of animals. Love the Boa photo. I don't know how I would cope with real cold weather. It must be 45 years since I saw snow. At present we have the opposite problem - temps have been in the mid 30's Centigrade and, although this is not hot for a lot of people for us it is. Luckily set to be mid to late 20's next week.
ReplyDeleteOnly the cats are mine. Two are inside cats and the other are ferals who we have unofficially adopted. My son and DIL own the two dogs and cat and the Superdogs belong to my daughter and her family.
DeleteWe are going to warm up tomorrow and I hope Mother Nature will cool you down.
Great photos and fun post with perfect reminders of what's needed and most important.
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten about your outdoor kitty's. What a beautiful trio! We have one that lives in our garage that I've been worried about him during our cold snap. There has been ice on his water, (I give him warm water) and he has 2 heated beds to choose from, and seems okay. But me.... :-)
Enjoy your fun plans this weekend!!
We put out a heated water bowl (plug-in) that keeps the water from freezing over in the winter. It works very well.
DeleteI do think that our outside cats live a happier life than my Daisy and Weezer inside. They stare at each other thru the French Doors and will virtually play. It’s pathetic.
How lovely to see your family. I didn't know you had that many critters. As a cat person without cats, your cat pictures are a treat for sure. And the picture of your and your husband is so lovely. I hope the snake didn't freeze though.
ReplyDeleteAs I said to Susan, only the cats are mine. The others are granddogs and a grandcat. The boa was very heavy and beautiful.
DeleteSpouses have there uses, I love it when my hubs goes to bed first and gets it nice and warm. Otherwise I make do with a dog on my feet.
ReplyDeleteBoth options are good, Susan.
DeleteJust reading about your temperatures made me chilly, but the pics of your animals and the things you said about friends warmed me right up.
ReplyDeleteSeeing you with that boa around your neck reminded me of when I was a kid. My older brother has always liked snakes, and he's had quite a few of them over the years. Up until a few years ago, he was raising boas. Anyhow, as a kid, I idolized him, but I hated those snakes. But to make him happy, I let him put them around me neck anyway. Creeped me out on the inside, but I smiled on the outside...
Have a super Super Bowl weekend! Stay warm.
We women know how to fake many things to please a man.
ReplyDeleteYour picture of the Super dogs reminds me of my twin grandsons. They are as different as can be (IVF twins) and they each have their own set of friends and likes and dislikes but there is an indefinable bond between them. Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteCLICK HERE for Bazza’s usually uxorious Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
Family is family, Bazza, and for most of us, it is the tie that binds.
DeleteIt is definitely a lot warmer today and yesterday’s snow is melting quickly.
Oh my gosh I cringed at the Boa! I have an unnatural fear of snakes lol! Oh the furries...they are adorable and they definitely need us. Our Oscar the Cat doesn't know he's a cat either. He hangs out with the three dogs all the time. Our other two cats steer clear though, they know they are different lol! Enjoy your Super Bowl! Stay warm!!!
ReplyDeleteSmall snakes give me the willies and, unfortunately we have found quite a few around my yard and even in my garage. The bigger ones, like the boa, are beautiful to look at from behind a safe glass.
DeleteLove the 'pile 'o pets' picture. Reminds me of our old dog on the farm. Every night he bedded down in the fresh straw pile and then all the barn cats (and I mean ALL of them) would bed down on top of him.
ReplyDeleteI love that story, Delores.
Deletecute cats.
ReplyDeletestay warm.
I will try. However, this too will pass and soon I will be complaining about the heat.
DeleteThose kitties in your heading photo are adorable. I also like all the photos of all your pets. If I did not have my two cats here in Nashville I would miss them. I don’t have them while in GA but I have so much to do that it’s OK. I can’t believe it is already 64 F here in Nashville now even before noon when it was so cold just a couple of days ago. The weather is supposed to get to 76 F by Thursday, hard to believe. My daughter asked me if I wish to come over to watch the super bowl but I declined. Yesterday was my late husband’s birthday and I am still a bit sad. She did come yesterday just before picking up the kids from Chinese school and told me I need to talk to people. I told her I talked with the bookstore owner a week ago last Saturday, and she said everyone needs to talk often, so I answered that I do talk to my cats – she sighed and said “humans” it’s good for your brain. But this is not easy when you are in a new town and don’t know anyone. I don’t mind though, I am alone but not lonely. Thanks for coming to my blog when I was unable to visit blogs. I am trying to get back.
ReplyDeleteYour sadness is so understandable. Others would want you to move on from this tragedy, but they don’t walk in your shoes. Lives are forever changed after loss and we need to get through it (but not over it) on our own . When you are ready, you will reach out for more, but until then you need comfort. From your writings, I I can see you are a fantastic lady and your emotions and self awareness will tell you the time when you can be at peace and reach out for more.
ReplyDeleteHello from (frozen) Alberta, Canada. Got here via Friko. Lovely (warm) blog you got here. Thank you. Love, cat.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cat.
DeleteCozy family pets, and they look quite happy.
ReplyDeleteHow long have you owned a boa? It is beautiful.
Not mine. We went to a pet show and spent $10 to have the handler put that beautiful, very large creature around our necks. The money went to an animal charity.
DeleteAlways words of wisdom. X
ReplyDeleteI am thankful everyday for the people and animals in my life.
DeleteStay warm and keep up with friends. I know all about the loneliness of isolation.
ReplyDeleteWinter is the hardest time. People tend to hibernate because of the weather and we see very few friends unless I invite them over or out to dinner. I am looking forward to spring and, I hope, sunshine.
DeleteDear Arleen, what a wonderful post! It's so true that we humans--and our animal companions--are social beings. We learn and live and thrive with others. When I was ill for a little over five weeks, I was really a recluse. I coughed too much to talk on the phone. (I didn't want my family and friends to have to listen to that hacking!) And I did get lonely. The cats did their part in comforting me, but they love their naps and nothing keeps them from that 16 hours or so of sleeping!
ReplyDeleteSo one of the first things I did when the cough was gone and the breathing was better, was to, as you advised, call an old friend! O joy in the morning! Peace.
A few weeks before I retired, I got a horrible cough and had trouble catching my breath. It lasted for a couple of months and was brought on by stress. I sounded so terrible and didn’t want to be around people and was very lonely. It was a relief in many ways when I started feeling better. I missed my job, my purpose, and my work friends and that affected every part of my being. I found out that emotions can play havoc with our health.
DeleteTake care, sweet Dee, and have fun in the kitchen. The winter will be over soon and you will be able to sit in your lovely screen room and enjoy the sounds and aromas of spring.
Dear Arleen, I really am looking forward to sitting on the porch and dozing or simply being. Even during the cold of the past few weeks here in Missouri, Maggie (the low-haired cat with whom I live) has wanted out on the porch. She simply walks its length, stopping now and then to gaze beyond the screen. May Sarton, the find memoirist, called this a cat's reading of the "newspaper." So when she's out there,Maggie is catching up on what's going on in the neighborhood! I think that of the three cats with whom I live she is going to enjoy the porch the most.
DeleteSo sorry to learn that you had such a hard time after retiring. Our bodies do let us know what's happening=-when we listen to them. It's taken me years to begin to listen and to learn to be patient. (I"m a s-l-o-w learner!) Peace.
I retired Sept 2017...I’m now 67. I’m still missing my job...hope it gets better.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog.
Hughug
I just saw this Donna while going through old posts. I wanted to answer this because I know how you feel. After all these years, there is a part of me that still misses work and the social (and monetary) part of it. However, life is what it is and I do what I can to live in the moment and am grateful for all I have and all those I love and who love me.
DeleteI’m finally back online after about a month. The war between Yahoo and Google ended. Almighty Google finally let me into my own two blogs. A miracle, as it were.
ReplyDelete