This morning when I got up at 2:30 (don't ask), I checked the temperature. The outside temperature was 4C/40 F, but more critically for me, it was 15.5C/60 F inside the house – not balmy for sure. I don't know how much cooler it got afterward, but I did notice that the house temperature was down another half degree and hour or so later.
I did not turn on the furnace but doubled and even tripled layered my apparel, and I also turned on the little heater under my desk – the one that is usually in the bathroom and will be again soon to heat it up before I shower. Hot coffee helped too, and I am actually snuggy warm as I compose this. In point of fact, I am almost too warm, so I think I shall disengage the heater for now.
Lacey just appeared from her downstairs bed. She has another bed here in my den, but she usually spends the nights down there. Our odd feeding ritual begins, and I handfeed her kibble even though her dish is just across the hall. Soon, when she is sated, she will head back down until morning comes. Odd human and odd cat pairing we are . . . And as predicted off she goes, disdaining the last four kibbles that I dropped for her.
If you can't tell already, we (Sue and I, not Lacey) are playing the silly furnace game again. The object is to put off running the furnace for as long as possible. Every day delayed is a small victory, and by golly, if you make it all of the way to November, you've won the game.
While there is no official prize, you get to feel very Canadian-proud of yourself.
If there were no weather relief in sight, I would be tempted to give up, give in, and put the furnace on, but starting later today, it looks like we are in for a warm week in which temperatures will reach the high teens C (or the mid 60s F). That is quite livable for us, at least in the short term.
When I picked up the thanksgiving pies on the weekend, I took a slight detour through the hamlet of Appleton and found a few sports of colour.
The next day, on my way to the grocery store, I took a photo of these trees around the corner from us.
15 comments:
Our color is right at its peak. I think I'll take a walk around town to capture the beauty.
I like to postpone the furnace each year. This week it's cold overnight while I'm warm in bed, but warmer in the daytime, so a couple more days..
The furnace game! I have already given it up. On my first walk down the hallway from bedroom to bathroom at 6 a.m., I pause to reset the thermostat from 68F to 70F, accepting my failure to win the game.
Me too. This morning at 6:15 am, 68 to 70! Much to my husband's chagrin. He likes the furnace game. But I just couldn't keep it going.
My funny wall units may sometimes have sun hitting them, so they thing "she's nice and toasty warm now" and there I sit shivering. At night I don't have that problem, rather the overheating that the unit thinks I need...so I have feinted it out by setting it very low and sleeping under a pile of blankets. Take that, you fowl fiend of a heater! We had first frost last night and I slept just fine. Hope you all find some pretty colors to capture!
Beautiful autumn scenes. Very different to Hawaii. Thank you friend. Do feel very Canadian-proud of yourself!
The furnace game is new to us. This is the first season we have exclusively heated the house with one! (Remember, we had a chimney fire that put the kibosh on that activity?) We are quite used to a cooler environment. We both wear sweatpants and fleece sweaters around the house. At night we use duvets, which I find far superior for regulating the sleep environment than heavier bedding.
Canadian Proud--I smiled at the furnace game! I can't tolerate my house below 68 or so although I do turn on the gas fireplace to take off the chill. My furnace doesn't run but my heat pump does. :) Does that count?
We gave up on Sunday when the temp inside was 16˚C and put the furnace on at 19˚C. I always dream of making it to November but not this year.
I missed the last two autumns over past 2 years. Nice to enjoy autumn leaves in nature.
Dude. The Furnace Game! You might be my (Canadian) long-lost brother.
Nice spots of colour. Agreed, that the colours are not as vibrant this year. We've been having a morning fire for a few days now, to take off the morning chill, but refuse to light the propane heater yet.
Um...I think we play the furnace game, sort of. Except that we delay starting the furnace as long as possible. However we do have vented heaters. Is that cheating? Or am I permitted to feel Canadian proud.
This post made me laugh. Well...except for the part about waking up at 2:30.
After spending 25 years odd on wood heat, JG is overdosing on the propane furnace that responds to the flick of a switch. There was a layer of frost out there this morning and we flicked. UnCanadian as that is, the ancient bones and muscles appreciate the heat. JG has installed a coil heater on a timer in my bathroom and in the ensuite. You set it for 10 minutes or so and get a warm room to strip down and towel off in. Um, preposition hell, that sentence.
Ah, yes! We did the same when we heated with wood. But now with free gas, the game is no more.
Great photos, AC.
Post a Comment