Bracing for Winter in North Texas

Reader Contribution by Faithful Homesteader
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It has started to feel like winter here in North Texas. My husband is ready for the cold weather, but I most certainly am not. I prefer fall and spring weather where I don’t need to turn on the heat or air conditioning. I also like to go outside without a jacket. I know that compared to other places it may not seem much like a winter, but for someone who hates the cold, it feels like it to me. So far I made it through a weekend of near-freezing temperatures without turning on the heat. But I think this weekend I’ll have to break down and turn it on.

Probably the last tomatoes of the year.

We still have many tomatoes on the vine, but now we are getting frost and getting ever-closer to that freeze mark. A couple of weeks ago I was out in the garden making sure that everything was covered up, but this week my body is not up for the task. I did pick all the ripe tomatoes, though.

I sure hate to leave all of those tomatoes, but it’s getting to be too much to try and save everything. I have had almost a full week of neck and shoulder pain that saps all my motivation. I think it’s time to move on and let the summer garden go.

This week, out at the ranch where I volunteer, I thought I was dressed warm enough, but I was wrong. I am not used to dressing in layers. The temperature outside wasn’t too bad, but the wind made everything so cold. Since I’m not used to spending a lot of time outside in the cold, I know it will be a challenge for me at the ranch this winter.

They say overall it should be a mild winter, but that doesn’t rule out having some strong cold fronts. I want enough cold to kill off those evil mosquitoes. However, I don’t want to be kept from my quality time with the chickens. I definitely hope they are right about that mild winter!

  • Published on Dec 2, 2016
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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