Still Frozen

The sand hill cranes don't seem to mind all this frosty weather we find so unusual. Like the humans who have come for the big game today, they seem to find it balmy compared to those northern places they come from. They are pairing up very noisily and soon we'll begin to see those fuzzy reddish chicks.
Another morning of below freezing temperatures. Even Lola, the canine bed warmer, couldn't take the edge off the chilliness. Our twenty year old house is not geared up for the cold. The heat pump mostly puts out cold air. When Andy started poking around in the fireplace to add more logs to what had burned down during the night, a mouse scampered out. He promptly trapped it, another trophy. Outside, under the orange trees there was a very large and snarling raccoon in the trap. We have been giving these critters to a neighbor who distributes them to people he knows who actually think of them as food. (along with squirrels, possum, and rabbits, I'm told.)
I know that lots of the people who make their lives in this rural area have always relied on local food sources, and we see more of it now that so many have lost their jobs and credit. Many of these folks hunt and freeze the wild hogs and venison to eat all year. They put up jars and jars of collards and greens and field peas and tomatoes. I have always wondered why they do this since vegetables grow here year round. They fry the turkeys they kill in fryers filled with oil.
We have so far saved the vegetable garden. Every morning when the sun gets a bit of warmth, I remove all the sheets doing warming duty on the beds of lettuces, greens, peas and broccoli. The beets and collards are hardy enough to take anything. I was so pitiful about the loss of the orchids and pitcher plants that my friends and family who visit these days arrive bearing wonderful blooming orchids. These are now safely taking up room in the kitchen and I smile every time I see them.
The situation in Kentucky where the severe weather knocked out all power for so long does humble me. I know that warm weather will eventually return. Meanwhile I can enjoy what I once thought was a pretty ridiculous feature of my car- heated seats.