When the winter sun sets in Georgia, the blue sky blends with the orange strip of light on the horizon. As the temperature plummets and the wind howls from the northwest, it’s time for me to layer, grab a lap blanket, and stay close to the small fireplace. Drink of choice? Hot tea, hot apple cider, or hot chocolate are high on the list.
FarmerMan wanted a wood burning fireplace when we moved to Georgia five years ago. I wanted a house with two and a half bathrooms, so our visiting families wouldn’t have to knock on the guest bathroom door and ask repeatedly to use the toilet while someone took a long shower. Are you done yet? Hurry up!
FarmerMan and I compromised with a gas burning fireplace and three bathrooms. (You caught the irony there, didn’t you?) FarmerMan has adjusted to not having to cut and stack wood, keep the wood dry, bring in firewood, and clean out the fireplace after an enjoyable fire in the evening; not to mention his wintertime aching back, which I just did. I’ve adjusted to the warmth near my writing corner that takes off the chill as I write.
What about you? Are you susceptible to the cold too, or are you one of those hardy souls who is outdoors in shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt while I’m wrapped up in three layers and shivering?
Down here on the Treasure Coast in Florida, below freezing is anything below 50 degrees. I prefer to stay inside with the central heat on. We only need to run it a few days here and there. Most of our winter temps are highs in the mid-seventies and lows in the low sixties. That means we have all the windows open, inviting the outdoor air inside with us when we’re not outside. I LOVE our winters!
Down here in the desert, our temperature in winter usually gets up to the low 70s so perfect to sit outside and read or go for a walk. At night it drops to the mid to high 40s so I stay inside bundled up. I’ve not turned the heat on in years because it dries the air and I find it hard to breathe. So at night you will usually find me dressed in layers. Inside, my house seems to stay around 65F day and night. I hate opening and closing windows twice a day so I usually just leave my front door open from around 10am-4pm. When it warms up a bit in February or March, I will leave my windows open 24/7 until it gets hot enough for air conditioners to be turned on.
That sounds wonderful!