The past couple of weeks we’ve had record low temperatures here in east coast central Florida; in the 30’s, with 28 degrees two nights ago.\u00a0 We native Floridians are not used to temps below 40 and seldom for more than a few days each year.\u00a0 I saw snow in Paonia, CO on my birthday in 1996 for several hours.\u00a0 When I woke up and looked outside, I saw it snowing and so I ran outside to be in it.\u00a0 I was wearing sweats but was barefoot.\u00a0 I knew it would be cold, but as soon as it touched my body, it melted and I was surprised it was wet. \u00a0 I saw snow again as we drove across Donner’s Pass, where it was waist deep.\u00a0 Other than those two days, that’s the coldest I’d been.\u00a0 Until this week, here at home in Florida.<\/p>\n
My cold weather wear this past week has been sweatpants, warm socks, my Cabela sheepskin booties<\/a>, my Cabela sleep silk top<\/a> with a flannel shirt over it, and my sweat jacket over that.\u00a0\u00a0 I’ve worn my hair down, and had on one of my hats.\u00a0 That keeps me warm and cozy when I’m inside.\u00a0 I like keeping the house about 60 and wearing more clothes, since that’s a novelty for us Floridians.\u00a0 Yesterday morning I went for a drizzly, chilly walk around the neighborhood, so I put my rain poncho on top of everything else.\u00a0 I looked like one of those kids you send out to play in the snow and they are so bundled up you don’t know whose kid it is until you unwrap them.<\/p>\n It was drizzly and about 35 all day. I went out to the shed and brought in my small oil filled radiators.\u00a0 No need to turn on the central heat when only 2 rooms need to stay warm.\u00a0 Also, upon the advice of friends who know this kinda stuff, I went around outside the house and wrapped up the pipes in case we did get a freeze overnight. \u00a0 I figure the animals are safe and warm in their burrows here, and under the shed; it has a crawlspace under it and is protected from the wind.\u00a0 There are lots of fallen pine needles on the ground to make a nest with. I’m happy to have some natural property as a sanctuary for our native critters.<\/p>\n Today is the first time I ever decided which door to go out dependent upon its proximity to the space heater. I now understand the meaning of “Don’t let the heat out”.\u00a0 I always thought: if the heater is on, it’ll be warm again as soon as the door is closed, right? <\/em> Well, no, I found it might take another hour to warm it back up if I leave the door open like I usually do when I run outside for a few minutes.\u00a0 Lesson learned.<\/p>\n I wrote on Facebook: Who all is getting their perceptions changed due to the unexpected cold? I sure am.\u00a0 I took a walk outside in the 33 degrees rain to get the mail. Coming back in I realized how warm and toasty 62 degrees really is.\u00a0 Inside the freezer doesn’t seem all that cold today. It’s all about perception and relativity, isn’t it?<\/em><\/p>\n My friend in Alaska, Chris Mahoney, said: “Try minus 40-60 degrees and your perception will tell you nothing’s cold after that. That’s when zero is a heat wave.”\u00a0 That sure gave me some relativity.<\/em><\/p>\n As I was on my rounds covering up the outside pipes, I walked into my formerly lush west garden.\u00a0 I could see which plants had been frostbitten and which had made it. Let’s just say the view is no longer obstructed and I can see right into my west woods and the firepit circle.\u00a0 All the turk’s cap is gone but only half the arbicola.\u00a0 My giant pothos is hangin’ on for dear life, but I can see it’s blackfrosted. It’s ok, little tropical plants, the cold is simply hastening you onto your next evolutionary stage.<\/em><\/p>\n Yes, it’s all about perception and how we react to what Life throws at us.\u00a0 Even after a hurricane, I’ve never seen my plants so devastated.\u00a0 It shows me how heavily I relied on turk’s cap to give me privacy.\u00a0 Now my turk’s cap is frostburnt to the ground – gone.\u00a0 Yes, this time next year it could be back to where it is now, but that leaves me months of exposure, with half my privacy hedge gone.\u00a0 Yikes, that means neighbors passing by can look into my yard.\u00a0 Oh no, what could be worse<\/em>?<\/p>\n I have to laugh at myself for this train of thought.\u00a0 Everyone is so wrapped up in their own little world, I am sure no one pays any attention.\u00a0 And so what if they do?\u00a0 I’m friendly and gregarious when I am out and about, but I tend to be very private and keep to myself at home. I like having a barrier of shoulder high turk’s cap and arbicola between my front yard and the street.\u00a0 It helps me feel protected from inquiring eyes.\u00a0 I wonder what I feel I need protection from?<\/p>\n So now my turk’s cap bushes are all gone.\u00a0 It makes me wonder what else I count on for security that could be gone in a flash.\u00a0 I remember 20 years ago being afraid to work for myself, I couldn’t imagine making as much as my paycheck paid me.\u00a0 And now I make lots more than then.\u00a0 Granted, for half of it I never know when it’s coming.\u00a0 I never know where it’s coming from.\u00a0 But it shows up and on time.\u00a0 To me, that’s an indicator that I’m on the right path: that it all clicks into place with synchronicity, grace and ease.<\/p>\n Knowing that is my security now:<\/em> that when I’m on the right path, it all clicks into place with synchronicity, grace and ease.\u00a0 If I’m encountering obstacles or feeling weird about what I’m doing, that doesn’t always mean don’t do it, but it means pay attention and gather more information before making decisions.<\/p>\n This Spring, my decisions will include: what plants shall I replace the turk’s cap with?\u00a0 I won’t know until the end of the season how many plants have made it through.\u00a0 Maybe I’ll just create a line of loquat saplings, I have so many of them.\u00a0 They are very cold tolerant and my 3 newly planted 30″ high saplings all got new blooms this past week.\u00a0 Or maybe I’ll just go for the new look, having a clearer view of the street.<\/p>\n Hmmmm, do I want what I’m used to, what’s familiar, what I know I like?<\/p>\n Or am I ready for change?<\/p>\n How about you?<\/p>\n RELATED POST:\u00a0 The Florida Frost Bite Changes My Landscape
\nThe End of Death As We Know It<\/a><\/p>\n