Baby It's Cold Outside

The weather people have been forecasting a "cold snap"  for the weekend.  Here, that translates to:  the temps will dip into the 70s and three days later will be back up into the high 80s with the usual humidity.

Our family, in a quest to satisfy my Canadian longing for cool weather, have experienced some REALLY cold temperatures starting with this ice laden tunnel on the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC.  It was 17 degrees the morning we got up for this ride from Mount Mitchell down into the valley to Asheville.  Not being experienced ice and snow drivers we thought we were being cautious when we stopped to talk to a waving man outside this tunnel.  Surely he had some good advice for us how to navigate through this treacherous area.  He simply said to just go slow and we would be just fine.  Well, we weren't just fine.  As soon as all four wheels hit the ice we started sliding and fortunately bumped into the wall of the tunnel.  I say fortunately because just before that wall is a drop down the mountain that would have given us the ride of our lives.  Next time, Orlando Grandma drives over the ice.  She spent many a cold winter in Nebraska driving through the snow - why didn't she speak up???                     

This is another icy time in our lives.  For some reason we thought it would be fun to go camping at Stone Mountain, Ga. the week between Christmas and New Year's.  We were in our pop-up camper and it got down to 19 degrees at night.  Our water hose froze into an unmanageable snake-like creature that Mr. Tennis had to wrestle into the heated campground bathrooms so it could thaw out.  On the day this picture was taken we took a cable car to the top of Stone Mountain to look at the view, not realizing that it was below zero at the summit.  This picture was snapped during the 30 seconds we ventured out of the toasty observation building.  I don't remember how many pairs of pants we were each wearing. Don't tell me we can't take the cold!!

A surprise snowy, cold vacation was a spring break visit to NYC.  We knew it would be chilly, but were delighted (that's how I like to remember it) when it began to snow the day we arrived.  It snowed all night and this is how Central Park looked the next day when we walked through it.   It was absolutely lovely.

                                                             

The snow seemed to put a quietening blanket over the usual noisy and bustling city and brought out the kid in all of us.

One of the most beautiful pictures Mr. Tennis took was at Strawberry Fields in Central park.  This is a quiet area of reflection and tribute to the late John Lennon and in the warmer months is a gathering spot for his fans.  The Imagine tile work is strewn with flowers quite often and this day we found it looking like this:

So, for a bunch of thin-blooded Floridians we do okay in the colder weather and I'm happy that at last, this weekend I am able to open my windows and let some of the outdoors, in.