Cold

Our first frost arrived yesterday morning.  It was a couple of weeks late this year and was very light.  Oftentimes it's in the mid 20s during trick-or-treating, but we barely managed 30 this time around.  Tonight colder weather is supposed to move in, dropping the snow levels in the mountains, and "winter" will settle in.

For fun, I'll check the DOT cameras for the weather in the mountains.  What's the snow level like?  Is it at Stevens Pass (4000 ft) level?  Snoqualmie (3000 ft)?  Or below that?  I also can tell based on where the snow line is on the mountains out east how low the snow level is, once it's below 3000 feet.  Or, checking the Doppler radar with snow or rain/snow mix color enhancement is fun, too.  Hi, my name is Kristi, and I'm a weather geek.  It's been 45 minutes since my last weather fix.

I cleaned out the furnace filters as I do the first of every month.  I hope for a warmish day because I have to run them through the dishwasher, and of course the furnace isn't on during that time.  Last December our furnace gave out completely.  We took advantage of the tax credit and had a high-efficiency model installed.  I find it interesting that our gas usage hasn't dropped a bit, considering that our old model was only 80% efficient.  I need to have it tuned up in December, so I think I'm going to ask some pointed questions when they show up.

Tonight we're having Buttermilk Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, and curried apples and squash for dinner.  Comfort food for a cold day.  DH is going to stand in the rain at the soccer game, and I'll bet he'll be chilled and soaked through when he comes home tonight.  He might opt for leftover Gulaschsuppe (goulash soup) instead.  Both heat up well.

I'm conserving wood for our stove right now.  I haven't found a source for firewood yet this year.  I need to hurry up, because we only have enough for a couple of weeks, less if the power's out.

How do you stay warm?