Baby it’s cold out there

Me, enjoying the sun on my face and breathing fresh air.

Enjoying the sun on my face and breathing fresh air.

Hi, my name is Debbie and I need to be outdoors to feel normal and balanced. Currently, I live in the Finger Lakes region of New York and it has been too bloody cold to spend any decent amount of time outdoors this winter. The average temperature for January was 16°F with an incredible high of 54°F and low of -15°F. February if you can imagine, got colder, with an AVERAGE temperature of 11°F, YES, AVERAGE temperature! There was a pathetic high of 38°F and a frigid low of -22°F. That’s really cold and doesn’t even account for the relentless wind chill, which can give a person frostbite within 20 minutes of exposure. Suffice it to say, I have not spent too much time outdoors.

snow drifts look like sand dunes

Snow drifts that look like sand dunes.

I am admittedly not a winter person, but I generally try to hike weekly nonetheless ~ not this year though. The other day, I realized that I was suffering from “Nature Deficit Syndrome” as well as cabin fever and feeling its adverse side effects, which are not pretty. At first, I thought my irritability was simply hormones, but when I stepped outside into the sunny brisk world, all I wanted to do was breathe in the fresh air, let the sun shine on my face and explore my surrounding. Nevertheless, within 10 minutes, my fingers started to freeze, and my lungs felt the crushing ice cold air rushing into them.  At that moment, I knew I had cabin fever. In order to feel balanced, I need to be “in” nature, explore, walk and breathe it in. This winter has gotten the best of me.

Looking out my window. It looks so beautiful but -12F out.

Looking out my window. It looks so beautiful but -12F out.

In January, I could get by with simply sitting in my somewhat warm house looking out the windows and appreciating the sunny day and watch the birds. However, after saying so long to February and welcoming March, with no end in sight, I am clearly losing my mind. I am tired of always being cold, plus we are running out of firewood. Everyone we have called to get more can’t get to their wood until the next thaw, which could be May by the looks of it.

Snow drifts that look like waves on the ocean.

Snow drifts that look like waves on the ocean.

I know I am not alone, the Ithaca tourism website redirected visitors to Key West, FL. Their site reads: “Due to this ridiculously stupid winter, Ithaca invites you to visit the Florida Keys this week. Please come back when things thaw out. Really, it’s for the birds here now.” They also provided a link to the Keys website at fla-keys.com.

At this point, the best I can do for now is to take short walks. I park further away from stores and pause before I get back into my car. Every morning, I rush to my outdoor thermometer hoping that it will read at least 25°F, and that the day will be filled with sunny skies. Because crazy at it seems that would be delightful and a welcomed surprise.

Walking a frozen Cayuga Lake when it was balmy 24F.

Walking a frozen Cayuga Lake when it was a balmy 24F.

 

 

What a difference a two-way zipper can make

Over 25 years ago, I vividly remember my older brother showing me his new winter jacket from LL Bean. It had a special feature that he was very excited about ~ a two-way zipper. I never saw one before and was intrigued. The coat was rather long, past his butt, but when he sat in his car, he didn’t have to unzip the entire jacket to get comfortable, he simply unzipped several inches from the bottom up to make it very easy to sit in the car.  It is an excellent feature during the cold winter months in the Northeast. Funny, but after that show-n-tell, I never gave it another thought, even though most of my jackets had the same feature. Well folks, after over two decades of wearing shell jackets I finally used my two-way zipper, and let me tell you ~ it was so liberating! I cannot believe I never tried it before.

In the winter, I am a layerer. With the temperature dropping below 20°F, I tend to get very bundled up, so when I need something from my jean’s pocket or to sit down, unzipping and then zipping up my entire coat is such a hassle. But no more! I simply unzip from the bottom and voilà easy access and comfort! So, you may be wondering why I never used this feature before ~ me too. Perhaps, my middle-aged body doesn’t fit as well in my clothes as it used to. Or better yet, I need and am wearing more layers. Yeah, sure, that’s it; I wear more layers when I go out nowadays. Beyond the shirt and turtleneck, there is a fleece or wool sweater, and then a fleece jacket and finally the shell. It really doesn’t matter the reason, because I have now my two-way zipper to use now and again.

What features do you love in your clothes? Could it be pit zips? There is nothing like hiking in the rain and being able to stay dry and still well ventilated is there? Please share and I will continue to share.