Honey, It's Cold Outside

Here in my corner of Missouri, it's supposed to get down to 16 degrees tonight. While this is par for the course around here during the winter, I thought I might share a few seeds of wisdom for the new people who haven't dealt with temperatures like this before.

It's important to drip your water in the house when the temperature drops into the 20s and below. You don't have to run it; just a steady drip will do the trick. The reason for dripping water is to keep water moving through the pipes, which will help keep them from freezing.

Another great way to help keep pipes from freezing is to wrap your water lines in pipe wrap. It's also known as tubular insulation. The pipe wrap we use at work is foam that resembles a pool noodle and comes in six-foot sticks. It's available at most home improvement stores and is quite reasonable in price.

I wish I could stay home and be cozy and warm on days like this, but I must earn a living. For me, that means driving to work and putting in a full day. On cold days, I remote start my car and let it warm up for a few minutes, usually five minutes or so. I do this for a couple of reasons. It's better for the engine to let the oil circulate and the RPM to reduce to under 1000.

Letting the car warm up also clears, or at least begins to clear, the windshield if I remember to turn on the defroster. This negates the need to scrape ice or frost from my windows. Having my car interior nice and toasty is also a pleasant result of letting it run for a few minutes.

If you are fortunate enough to be able to stay home on cold days, there are several fun things you can do. I know outdoorsy people are often easily bored inside, so I am sharing a few ways to pleasantly pass the time.

My preferred indoor activity is curling up with a good book and a steaming mug of coffee or cocoa. Other great indoor activities are putting together a puzzle, baking cookies or bread, creating something such as painting or craft, playing a board game if you aren't home alone, playing a video game if you are home alone, and watching a good movie.

Don't forget to bundle up when you go outside. Nobody wants frostbite or hypothermia. I like to dress in layers and wear a coat with a hood over them. Remember, coats and gloves are our friends. Scarves are great additions, too.

Our weather is fickle in the Ozarks. No matter where you are, I wish you a warm and cozy winter.

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