We had a little snow dusting yesterday and then a very windy day with 25-40 mph gusts. Colorado is never predictable with the weather -especially winter- and every now and then we get a calm, sunny 70 degree day thrown in for good measure just as you are about to go crazy with either the cold, snow, grey and/or wind. But none-the-less, we have a few things that we have to do to prepare for the winter.
Snow on the Greenhouse
A Cold Lake out Back
1) Start using a humidifier. In Puerto Rico this would be a strange thing indeed, but here in Colorado, it is a tremendously dry climate and with dry air also coming from the heater -central heat- (also not found in PR), you are almost guaranteed a cold and a dry nose and air passageway without a humidifier. We only use it at night in our bedroom. Some houses have whole-house humidifiers. We also turn on the downstairs fireplace more often and I stand directly in front of it, just like I did in the house I grew up in.
Cozy by the fire
2) Pull out the flannel sheets. During the summer we use regular white cotton sheets because they keep you cool and comfortable, but in the winter, flannel rocks! It is like crawling into your pre-warmed blanket. We just got a new set since our last set was used down to the thread and started getting holes in it. We also put away the light bed spread and pulled out the down comforter. I wonder what a flannel hammock in Puerto Rico would be like…I think that I could just sleep outside in that in the tropical jungle.
Our new flannel sheets and down comforter
3) Start wearing more clothes. This is a real bummer for me because I love to dress like I’m at the beach year round, if I could. Which is why Puerto Rico in the winters will be AWESOME. Anyway, I have to wear closed-toed shoes instead of strappy sandals, sweaters instead of tanks or short-sleeve shirts, pants instead of skirts or shorts and then the big, bulky coat or jacket that you must always have even if you do get a sunny 70 degree day every so often because it can turn on you in a flash and you’ll be stuck in a blizzard. I also wear my robe and slippers a lot more often around the house eating warm foods and liquids.