LIFE IN A COLD CLIMATE

1. There is always iced cold water available to drink straight from the tap. This saves on electricity needed to make ice cubes. But it is not so successful in a gin and tonic.
2. You need to allow plenty of time for the hot water to make its way through the freezing cold pipes before washing, unless you went to boarding school in which case this will probably not be a problem for you. I did not go to boarding school.
3. Note to self: never let coal supplies in the cottage run down as in the coal shed the lumps of coal freeze and stick together, making it impossible to shovel.
4. Wear trousers as hurdling abilities may be tested because the latch to the gate freezes over, making it impossible to open.
5. A hard frost in the morning looks beautiful when you look out of the window. When it is still there at 3.00pm in the afternoon, you realise the temperature didn't rise above zero.
6. Towels dried on the washing line go stiff. Very stiff. So then it's like drying oneself with an exfoliator.
7. One's nose and eyes run all the time, especially early in the morning on the golf course. It is hard to blow one's nose with two pairs of gloves on.
8. Always have a credit card handy to scrape the frost and ice off the windscreen.
9. Remember to start the car engine 15 minutes before it's time to depart. Don't keep the can of de-icer in the car because it makes it too cold to handle.
10. When it snows, all is forgiven because life looks like this:*









11. You need a thoughtful neighbour like Gordon who gets up early to clear the pathways and grit them, so we don't slip over walking up the lane to the shop.
12. The children bring out sleds and their joyful voices can be heard wafting over the river as they cavort happily around the school playground all bundled up and looking like little puffins.
13. Only Jimmy can make it up the hill in his big truck. Even Roy the postie gets defeated by the large snowdrifts so the hilltop residents are bereft of mail.
14. The newspaper delivery grinds to a halt so you are oblivious to any news except what you hear on the local grapevine, which is all weather-related as that's the only thing anyone is interested in.
15. An electric blanket becomes your best friend.

Photos courtesy Tessa