Cheryl Earns Her "15 Below" Patch!

Subie Starts in this! 

Final temps this morning before the run. 

For running!   That is right!  It was -15 degrees this morning and we went out for an 8 mile training run.  I rode the Bike while Cheryl ran.    I got cold..  Cheryl got to run.    It seemed like a fair exchange at the time. 

Army in Alaska .  Sometimes it was not that bad.  

Back when I was in the Army in Alaska,  we used to run in this crap all the time.   Either I have forgotten how terrible that was,  Or I was much more acclimated and YOUNGER so as not to feel the true fury of the cold.   No one every told me that old age came with this much baggage.  "Oh!  And by the way,  what used to feel comfortable and doable will now make you miserable and seem impossible.....

Well,  Impossible is not quite there yet, as proven by our performance this morning.   We did it.   And survived!   It was only -15 after all.   Fairbanks was routinely in the -20 range!   Still,  I did not have to ride a bike in that weather.   And running seems to generate a lot more heat.

Shooting clays in the ice and cold! 

We used to shoot Skeet at the Ski hill back then as well.   They offered various patches for certain milestones in your shooting.   One of those was the 40 below patch!    Shoot a round of skeet in -40 degree Temp ( or colder.... It was -54 when we did it.)  and you get the patch!   How hard can it be to do that?

Plenty!   I only hit 6 clays and I didn't care.   I never wanted a round of skeet to be over so quickly.  Normally,  Shooting clays is fun!  And you want it to last as long as possible,  trying to hit as many as you can. But not that day.   I was so proud of that stupid little patch.

Cheryl is bundled! 

Note the gloves.   Thumbs tucked in!

Well, Cheryl earned her -15 patch ( yet to be made by me...)  Today.   I'm not sure where she will display it, but I'm certain she feels the same pride that I did when I rumbled with extreme cold and barely won.   Ok,  Maybe she won with a better experience, but it is still an accomplishment.

Shortly after this,  The camera froze! 

The River is frozen now.  Eagles gather
near open patches of water. 

It was so cold our this morning,  Subie almost did not start.  AND my camera died on me after my last running photo.   I tried in vain to get it to take pictures of the Eagles again.  They were bunched up in even bigger clusters even closer together!   Possibly because the open water has shrunk on the river.   Most of the river is now completely covered except for a few patches... and that is where the eagles are hanging out.

Back when I was younger, dumber, and still able to
survive it! 

One side note.   Apparently,  some kid died at the University today/last night.   The newspapers are blaming the cold.   It sounds a little fishy to me, but I did not read the full article.   I did read that Alcohol was not a factor...   So, either something else was, or the kid fell asleep out in -24 degrees and did not feel the burning sensation of his limbs freezing.  ( We used to sleep out in -30 in the army...   All the time!  And we managed to survive with just a sleeping bag.  No tent, No stove!   Just us and the stars.)  If he was properly dressed or anything,  he would have probably been fine.   I'm thinking there was some other factors at play.   Cheryl and I proved that -15 is cold, but will not kill you if you are properly dressed.  I'm curious what other information might come out about the case.

Well,  On that gloomy note,   I shall sign off and pour another hot Cocoa.   Stay  warm!   Currently it is  snowing and blowing outside, but the temps have climbed to -2.  ( Almost tolerable!) Cheryl wants to go running again tomorrow... after work.   I'm usually more hip to things on Friday,  so We shall see how things go.   Wish us luck!   And thanks for stopping in.

Having A "Cold Day" From Work....

Whoose!   Where did my Coffee go? 

Instead of a "Snow Day, we have been having "Cold Days".   Meaning:  The weather has been so cold here in Iowa that places have shut down!    Schools, and other businesses have been  put on leave because of the bitter cold.   I'm not sure what the current temp is right now, but it should be about -15 o -22 degrees right now.   And it feels like it! 

Insant Snow!

If you breath in deep, you cough!   Your nose freezes up and your eyes water.   If you are out there more than 5 minutes,  your fingers begin to burn and go numb.   Thankfully,  the wind is nearly gone now, but it is supposed to kick back up later.  Simply put...  it is cold!

I would have to say,  this does remind me of the cold days in Alaska and Minnesota.   I can remember some very cold days when I was in those places.   I can't remember if they ever closed the schools because of the cold, though.  Had the cold been one of the reasons for school closings,  they would have never had school during the winter.... especially in Fairbanks!  At least the wind was non-existent there.   In Minnesota, the wind was always your constant companion...  ( not that you wanted it...ever!)  Those wind chills would cut to the bone.

So it is not impossible to imagine that Iowa gets this cold.   They are close to Minnesota, after all.  AND they are part of the interior land mass where air can not be regulated by any large body of water.  In other words:   Super cold winters,  AND super hot summers.   We have experienced both in our short, limited time here in Iowa.  Sometimes, I miss the great lakes simply for that regulating lake effect.  ( of course,  it always brings lots of snow....)

Can you see the lake in the background? 

So,  Cheryl and I are currently at home with the cat.   Pearson has cancelled scoring for today and will open back up tomorrow at noon.   I have not even tried to start the Subie in the current cold.   I figured if there was no need for him to wake up,  then it is probably best to leave him sleep.    Even though the sun is currently out,  it remains extremely cold outside.    Hopefully,  he will start tomorrow as the temps try to climb back up.

Just an illusion. 

In the mean time,  I was enjoying my coffee when I noticed the birds coming to the bird feeder.   The shadow cast by the rising sun created an illusion of a sun rise over a lake.   Perhaps you can see it too.

I figured I would try to capture one of those artsy pictures that look like something that is not entirely real.   I'm not sure how well it will turn out.

Hiro upset he has to entertain us. 

At least the cat enjoyed watching the birds as they fluttered back and forth around the bird feeder.  He was as enchanted with the shadow puppets as well,   Watching both the birds and the shadows they cast onto the wall.    Pretty cool.

Whoa!  What was that? 

I worry a little about the outside cat.  I have not seen him for three days now.  He was out early in the morning in our driveway on our way to work, but he did not hang around to catch a meal nor did I have time to feed him.   Hopefully, he is holed up in a warm and toasty place,  waiting out the cold.   I'll keep an eye out for him if he does decide to show up for some Kibble.  We shall see.

Hope everyone is staying warm.   I'm thankful we did not go out for a run today.  I doubt we would have gone very far and it is possible very little training would have been meaningful.  I probably would have frozen my fingers and toes off!  There is always the weekend...which should be warmer and better anyway.  For now,  warm beverages and some relaxation with the cat.   Thanks for stopping in.

This Iowa Weather Is For The Birds!

Eagles Favorite Weather.   Eagles Favorite Tree! 

Specifically.... the Eagles!   Yes, I finally got my camera to stay alive long enough to take a few pictures.  And by a "few", I mean about 400+!    Why take so many pics of Eagles?

     Lots of Photo Opportunities today.       

 Because Eagles remind me of Alaska, Nature, The U S of A and all things Freedom!  And I remember how "rare" they were back when I was growing up.   We once traveled to the U.P  just to "maybe" see one... and did not!   The first time I saw one in Alaska, I was like a kid's first time at the zoo!  It always gets my

Lots of "Eagle Trees" today

excitement racing.

Cold run day again...

But  the ones I saw in Alaska were nothing compared to the numbers I have seen here in Iowa.  (And that is saying a lot!)  I know there are places in Alaska that have tons of Eagles in one small location; But here in Iowa,  Numbers over 40 can be seen around pig farms, deer carcasses, and  near the Rivers.

 Especially now that the lake is frozen over and the only open water is the river.  The Eagles seem to have their favorite trees, because you will go a little ways and then see several birds in one tree.  Maybe they simply enjoy each other's company.

Eagles fly as Cheryl approaches
the river.  Can you see them?

As we took off running this morning,   we passed by so many trees and clusters of flying birds that I could not keep up with the camera.  I snapped as many as I could, only to realize they will never turn out.   I saved the ones where we were practically on top of the bird... ( or rather, They were directly above us!)  and snapped what I could before some of them flew away.

Some of them remained in place.   Possibly because they are used to people walking, biking, and running along the trail.   I did not want to scare any of them, but I imagine a creepy guy pointing something at you might seem a little unnerving.  Still, I tried not to linger and cause problems.


In some places,  the eagles were flying around like a cluster of Seagulls.   Those pics did not turn out as well because of the trees, but there were dozens in the skies above the water.  Very cool scene.

As for us,   Two laps and about 8 miles of distance was all we could manage in this deep freeze.   On the second lap my feet started to get cold, and there is usually no recovery after that point.   At least the wind held off while we were running.  Apparently, the windchill is supposed to be really bad today.  Lucky us!

The Eagles Above us!

So now we are home to continue our work as bums.  Cheryl was a bundle of energy yesterday.   She baked, cleaned, washed, and did a bunch of other stuff that exhausted me just watching her!   I fixed my bike and blogged.... that was enough to wipe me out.

Hiro demonstrates my activities
for the rest of the day.

 A demonstration in the gap between our activity levels.  But now she is the one laying on the floor. ( lying?   What are the rules again?   Stupid English Grammar ....) And hopefully she will remain sedentary for the remainder of the day.  Just like me....

Thanks for stopping in and hopefully the cold is not grabbing you too hard.   Stay warm and drink hot Cocoa....  Mmmmm Hot Cocoa.

Cold, Colder, Even COLDER! Week In Iowa.

Cold Morning(s) in Iowa

The temp STARTS here. 

Did I mention it has been cold this week?    First,  it was freezing rain.  Then the temps drop and bring the snow.  Now the temps have disappeared below the thermometer!   -6 was the temp when we rose up for work...  and it just got colder!   I don't know what the final low was, but I have it on Subie's authority that it was at least -15 before we walked into Pearson.

Cheryl running after work.

And drops to THIS before we get to
Work!

This project at Pearson,  along with the  terrible weather has taken a serious chunk out of Cheryl's run time.   She made us run after work on Wednesday, but it was so cold and so dark that we decided to take Thursday and Friday off.   We did manage to run this morning.   ( The temps were in the warm single digits) but we still managed to get cold, even with foot and hand warmers!

Cheryl preparing to run this morning.

She is not frosted up....yet. 

Add in that the snow continues and drifts across the sidewalk.   AND  people have not shoveled in places and the snow plows fill in sections near the road!   It makes for a really colorful cycling experience.  ( I paint the sky red and purple with my expressions and outbursts!)   Cheryl manages,  but even she got cold around mile 7.   The thought of riding along Gilbert street does not sound very fun for tomorrow.

...And right about here is where the
camera dies. 

Subie does not like the cold either!

 The Eagles were out in full feather today!   Why no pictures?  Because my camera died... ( Adding to the color of the sky... as previously mentioned.) There were trees filled with 6-7 Bald Eagles right next to the path.   We saw several dozen total!  Cheryl says she could hear them ruffle their feathers as the took off above her. I managed to get really close to several!.. AND it would have been a GREAT PICTURE had the camera not died at that moment.   Crumbs!

HAving fun with Hot water.

The cold effects Cheryl's Garmin as well.  He is finicky at 40 degrees above zero...   when it dips below zero, it simply quits and offers no explanations.  Cheryl tries to cover him and keep him warm, but then she can't look at the pace or the mileage.  The Cold negatively effects so many things hat are electronic.

So cold it turns to vapor
before it hits the ground. 

Even Subie had a hard start up these last few days.   (But he DID start!  Yea!) When it gets this cold, his fuel injection seals contract and leak a little gas vapor until they get warmed up.  (A common problem, I guess...)  so if we are not moving,  the cabin smells like gasoline!   Lovely.    Also, his defrost has to work very hard to keep the windows clear.   He kicks out plenty of heat!  But the cold prevents him from heating the cabin AND the windshield at the same time.  So we are forced to keep switching the air back and forth for the vent and the windshield.  It is kind of a pain, but at least we can get toasty for a few minutes before the windows fog back up.

Science!  Fun for everyone! 

So...  it has been a while since we have had temps this low here in Iowa.  (GLOBAL WARMING!  WHERE ARE YOU?)  But these temps are supposed to last for the next week or so.  Cheryl complains about working at Pearson because it cuts into her run time, but with the weather as bad as it has become, I doubt we would be getting in those quality miles she craves.  Hey!  At least we can make some money while we sit in a warm environment.  And she does not drive me crazy voicing that she should have run further today.   Some people simply can't be satisfied, I guess.

Thanks for stopping in.   And I hope you are warm and comfortable if you are currently dealing with this cold snap.   Oh!  And keep your money instead of donating it to Al Gore.  I can only imagine he will spin this as "Definitive PROOF" that Global warming is real!  I wonder how he is going to do it...

The Temps Drop. The Wind Howls. Cheryl Runs. Ethan Folds.

It has been COLD these last couple of days.  As I write this, the wind is howling like a banshee outside.   That blowing and drifting snow they promised several days ago is finally blowing and creating drifts.

It was actually 2 degrees.  Subie
was parked in the sun....

Even Subie is feeling the pinch in the morning as we first get him started.  He does not mind the snow so much,  but he definitely feels the cold!

Sill wants to Run?

Despite this,  we continue to run.   At least most of the sidewalks are clear on our path near the Trueblood Park.  I find it funny that the small sections of snow covered area are around the Iowa City Roads and Parks division!  The sidewalks right up to the property are clear...  but for some reason,  they decided to skip their own front sidewalk!  ( I should have snapped a picture of the irony..but I did not have my camera with me today.)

Better dress up warmer. 

Cheryl wanted to fit in as many runs as she could because we are beginning a new project tomorrow at Pearson.   It is supposed to last three weeks, but we shall see about that.  ( they usually end earlier than predicted.)  This will force us to change our run/bike time into the evening...  when it is dark!  We have already secured a plan to light the bike and bring warm clothes to change after work.  Still,  it will be a little bit of an adjustment.

Apparently this helps warm you? 

Cheryl could run in the morning like she did last summer...  but the roads around here are not the best to run/bike on and it will be bitterly cold that early in the morning.   Best to attempt these things after work. Besides, we will be right there in Iowa City already.

Origami Money

Other than that,  Cheryl celebrates her battle with the cold and snow with a small bit of Ice cream.   And then complains that she is cold.   Explain that logic to me....

The Tanks go Rumbling by. 

Cats and Bunnies and fish. 

As for me,  I continue to fold a little.  I may have to put my grand folding dreams on hold as we go back to work, but it is good to keep the tools clean and the knives sharp...so to say.  ( No one wants to be a rusty origami folder...right?)  Besides, I usually have some spare time at work to fold a few things.   It's good practice to keep your focus on the papers.

Definitely warmer. 

Better than Ice Cream.

So that is all for now.   Cold weather, limited free time,  Cheryl eating Ice cream.   Yeah,  that pretty much sums it all up.   Hope everyone else is enjoying the cold and blowing wind chill.

My idea of Warm and Cozy.

And how to relax after a
Cold run. 

   And hopefully having something warm and tasty instead of ice cream.  Like Hot Chocolate... MMmmm  Hot Chocolate.     Thanks for stopping in.