Frozen

We have been very cold.

The Bay Area has been having a bit of a cold spell, temperatures around 20F at nights, not getting much above 50F during the day. While those of you who regularly experience -20F might scoff, the cold feels a lot colder when you live in a house where you can see the outside through the walls, and where the heating system is not sized to deal with temperatures that low. It was kind of like winter camping.

I'm not used to going out and seeing frost on the deck and garden every morning. We do get the occasional frost here, but usually not for seven days in a row. And certainly I can count on one hand the number of days when I needed to scrape ice off the window before driving to work.

That was pretty much every day last week.

Some plants rolled with it. The California poppy actually does fine in frost; it's a plant that lives in a lot of different climate zones so that makes sense. Frost is no big surprise further inland.

The oxalis, on the other hand, did not cope with repeated frosts very well. I can't say I'm heartbroken, though I'd like to keep the pretty pink oxalis we have out back.

In response, Noel did more blocking and installed more insulation upstairs, and then stapled up this piece of plastic on the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom. Tonight, for the first time in weeks, you can walk upstairs and feel warm. Pretty nice.

posted by ayse on 12/15/13