Cold just reached a new low.

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The thermometer says it is 14 F, or so.  Well, and that it is.  However, even with dry hands, touching metal right now causes the skin and metal to merge.  Something different about this cold.  And, it seemed to be snowing.  There may or may not be actual snow in there.  It may just be frozen air.  Seriously, there is something very different.  Humidity is reading 24%, indoors.  I am betting it is below that out there.  Which is why even the very mild dampness of skin sticks to metal.

Everything has a frost to it, that is outside.  I forgot the mostly empty feed bucket out there.  Even the feed had hoary frost on it!  Something unusual is happening.  I would not wish to find myself out in that for long at all, without serious preps.  Warm clothes, fire-starting equipment, and a strong penchant for prayer.  It is one of the spookiest cold events I have seen... at least here.  This is, pretty much, a warm spell in Iowa... or used to be.  Seriously.  A -40 in Iowa was pretty common, and I have been through a two month session where the highest in that period and a bit more was negative twenty.... as the highest temperature for over two months, perhaps closing on three months.  Still, this is different.  Iowa was never dry, not like this, unless it was much much colder.

The ducks and rabbits seem okay.  The ducks are keeping their water open, which probably means they have been swimming.  Other than that, all seems okay.  The rabbits, too, seem okay.  The littler ones have four to a cage, so can cuddle if all else fails.  I did try to get their waterers to work, but the freezing was just too strong, so I replaced their waterers.  I may do so again, as cold as it is.  So have reset the waterers I brought in... just letting them warm.  Oh, and I closed their tarps down, as if for night setting.  Hopefully to allow them to stay warmer.  Brutal out there.

I got a shower.  Finished chores.  Finished laundry.  I should set up dishes, and perhaps get ready to clear and clean more counter space and get trash and recycling ready.  Ugh.  So cold, so tired.  I do have the heat up, it just isn't mattering in this weird spell.  Hmm, perhaps something to eat would help.  What could I mix some of the pulled pork with?  I'll have to check.  I am sure there is something to go with it.  Doesn't have to be fancy.  Later.