Monday, February 03, 2014

Cabin Fever

Click here for Grow Your Blog & Giveaway :)
 

It's about this time of year, every year, that I start to get in a bit of a funk.  This winter, as most of you know whether you live in North America or not, has been a harsh one.  Lots of really cold temperatures, lots of snow and freezing rain.  Basically, a lot of things happening outdoors that force you to stay indoors more often ... in fact for days at a time.

I hate being inside all the time.  Although it does give you an excuse to sit on your duff and enjoy some knitting ...
 
Tea Cozy for my One-Cup Teapot
 
 
... I'm getting just a little tired of sitting on my duff for so long.
 
Baby Hat
The weather has made it difficult even to walk the dog.  Ice is still lurking on our sidewalks from the ice storm way back in December.  I've had a couple of upsets, which are usually more embarrassing than painful (one right in front of a "kindly" gentleman clearing his driveway ... he looked up as I suddenly slipped, arms flailing, but calmly went back to his chore ignoring me completely).  
 
 
Then the dog suffers not only from ice balling up between his toes, but also the huge swaths of salt people throw on the sidewalk which also gets caught between his toes.  He just won't walk then and he'll stop, sit up with paws dangling until I clean them out for him.  I miss walking in the woods, but the woods where I go is treacherous with ice in the winter even when we don't have a bad winter, so I haven't even bothered trying to get out there.
 
 
So what this all boils down to is by February I really feel itchy and unsettled ... cabin fever.  I hate it.  It becomes difficult to settle down to anything.  I want to be moving.  I want to be outside doing something.  And the truth is, we won't be getting springtime weather until March or April!  I like winter, but I don't like winter if I can't enjoy being outside.

This past Saturday we had another snow storm with a decent accumulation of snow.  I hadn't been out to see my dad for three weeks(!) due to the weather.  Lately the bad weather seems to arrive on Saturdays which is my usual day for visiting him.  Finally, I'd had enough of waiting, and despite the prediction of the incoming snowstorm, I just bit the bullet and drove the hour & a half to see him.  It didn't start snowing heavily until about an hour before I left.  I think my dad is tired of being cooped up too, as he was in a terrible grump complaining about anything and everything.  It was hard to placate him, but I feel obligated to calm his worries before I leave.  His Alzheimer's makes it so hard for him to judge anything fairly.  And since I was already out, I decided to drop in on my friend after that (she lives in the same city as my dad).


It was good to get out of the house, even if it was only in the truck and then in other people's homes.  The snow fell and fell all day long on Saturday and through the night.  Quite an accumulation out there Sunday morning.  Today is sunny & bright.  More ice has formed under the fluffy stuff, so I spent some time this morning chipping away at ice & snow.  It was just nice to be outdoors in the sunshine!  I even got so warm that I removed my hat, scarf and mittens!  I almost feel like putting a lawn chair out there on my snow-covered patio and bask in the sunshine ;)

The temperatures have risen in the past few days, which has been a great relief.  The dog has been enjoying getting out for longer periods of time now that the sun is making some cozy patches in the backyard where he can snuffle around.
 
My patio
 
So let's hope that even though the groundhogs didn't see their shadows yesterday, that winter eases up a bit so that we can at least get out there and clear the cobwebs.
 
Cody catching some pleasurable scent on the breeze
 
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 
Wendy
 
 
Good boy Cody!
 
 
 

24 comments:

  1. Cody is a doll...I can just tell from your photos that he is a sweet soul! And I do hear you on the cabin fever! The beans are like "Jumping Beans" now! Bouncing off the walls!! And we are very cold here still...with a large snow storm coming through tomorrow! So glad you were able to get out to see your dad and visit with your friend! You are so right...doesn't matter where you go sometimes just as long as you get out somewhere! Well enjoy that sun friend and soon enough we will be back to digging! Love your baby hat by the way! Do you sell those??? Nicole xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry that you are having cabin fever Wendy, I can't imagine what it must be like to have been stuck indoors for so long, for you or your dog! Hopefully even if it is rain the weather will change and you can get out and do something, as long as that darned snow stops falling hey! No consolation, but your distraction activity of knitting has produced some lovely results, the hat is incredibly cute and I love the idea of the one cup teapot cozy!! Much more civilised that my dunking a teabag in a mug which I have just done! Tell you what, I will swop your snow for our rain - we have had another flood here! Spring has to be coming sometime soon doesn't it? Winter this year seems to have been going on forever.... Sorry, that sounded complainy and it isn't really. You definitely need to be treated to a bunch of flowers! I am sending you some metaphorical ones! xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's a cosy thought to be stuck inside the house for several days crafting, but I think the reality is always different. Especially if you like the outdoors. I hope you see some signs of Spring in the not too distant future.

    Beautiful photos of Cody.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Poor Cody! Hopefully it wont be long before you will be able to go out for lovely long walks. I think we probably wont get any snow now here in UK, we havent had anything but rain and gales.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my, you are having a bad time of it this Winter. Although your glorious photos catch a beautiful glimpse of Winter, I suppose the reality is vastly different. Love the photos of your Cody, he looks like a gentle and loving doggity dog! Let's hope that you experience more glorious sunshine and that Spring arrives with great gusto, so that you and your beloved Cody can enjoy those long walks in your woods. Love the beanie and tea cozy, knitting is the perfect thing to while away wintry blues...albeit if only for a li'l while.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cody is SUCH a handsome boy! The weather was much warmer this weekend...but boy, did it snow!
    I'm thinking about how long the ground will take to dry out in the spring, and how it will impact our growing season for the veggy patch.
    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Goodness, I really hope you have a turn in the weather soon. It sounds like a very difficult winter up there. Cody is such a sweetie, I love seeing photos of him. Hang in there, hope you have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have been feeling the same way... bored, itchy and twitchy. It's just been so darn cold out there and then there is the wind... not for the faint of heart! Poor Cody and that salt... and shame on that man who saw you fall and didn't even offer to help!!! Where has chivalry gone? I think we have to face it... the weather patterns are changing, drastically if we take this past year and this winter so far as any measure... sigh*
    I hope you stay warm and safe my sweet blogging sister,
    Hugs,
    Beth P
    P.S. where on earth did you find that adorable one cup tea pot? Too cute!

    ReplyDelete
  9. It has just been such a brutal winter around us. I never really mind the snow, but we have had days and days frigid temps. My dogs sure miss being out too! Stay warm and safe in all of that ice and snow!! What a sweetheart of a dog you have!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. you know i have never seen a tea cozy until i was at a friends' house - & i said what is that thing on your tea pot? wild!! super cool. i need one those. very festive. ( :
    we had rain all day ... unfortunately no snow. ) :

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh my word Wendy, I cannot believe the amount of snow, having said that it looks beautiful. It must be terrible to be indoors for so long, but your tea cosys are brilliant and I LOVE your one pot tea pot.
    Cody is adorable but is poor paws, I hope Spring is around the corner for you.
    luv
    irene
    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. I feel for you Wendy I really do, when we have snow here and it drags on for a couple of weeks I find it do depressing so I can imagine how awful it must be for you to be cooped up like this. I bet your dad was so glad for your visit, it must be awful for him too and poor Cody getting snow and salt between his toes! I love your cute little tea pot cosy, I have been meaning to make one for my tea pot but I always have other things on the go. I'm glad the sun has finally put in an appearance the Spring will soon be here. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  13. I actually can't even imagine how cold it gets there in Winter - it all just looks so beautiful and magical but being cooped up for too long is no fun. I'm suffering from a cabin fever of a different kind - the one where you have spent the last 6 weeks with 5 active kids in the home for the summer holidays, and we have had a bit of a heatwave here which kept them inside for days. They start back at school tomorrow and I am just a little bit excited about having a few quiet hours in the home :-) Hope your Spring arrives soon. Mel x PS I love your puppy, what a sweetie :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the photos of Cody-and I really love your tea cozy too.That is cute though that he tells you when his paws need cleaned of the salt-pretty smart-
    this is really a long winter this year for most of us it seems. Winter is arriving here in the ozarks this week in full force. lots of snow today and through out the week with super cold temps. Glad you were able to get a bit hugs Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  15. Cody is beautiful. I adore the tea cozy!! I usually walk the dogs at the State Park and can't during this weather because of the same reasons - ice and road salt. It stinks! We have more snow coming tonight and again on Sunday so it doesn't look like it will let up much. :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gosh it might look beautiful but snow can cause so many problems. Here's to a thaw soon and a walk in the woods...keep warm :) x

    ReplyDelete
  17. Awwww, Cody is such a sweetie.

    You are young and you can sometimes brave the roads, etc. I'm "olden" and I just don't. Actually, I don't even want to.

    But some time, I will get sick and tired of winter. I'll begin playing CD's of Hawaiian music, saying things like: "This house runs on island time," and posting about trade winds and "little grass shacks" and etc. :-)))))))) Not yet though...

    Tessa~

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love your tea cozy! I feel guilty reading about the terrible winter the rest of North America is suffering through. The little SW corner of British Columbia where I live is experiencing one of the mildest winters on record.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love the pooch!

    Here in Minneapolis, we're feeling the same thing: far too much serious cold, and for too long. You know, I'm okay with single digits, really I am!, but single and double digits below zero -- for days on end! -- is just too much.

    /sigh/ February: it's a short month, right? :-)

    Pearl

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wendy what glorious pictures but obviously not so gorgeous when you are out in the elements at all times. I love your dog Wendy he is fabulous. Lots of love
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hello Wendy! Lately I've quite enjoyed staying in and crafting and cooking when the weather is bad, but we get it like you do, and doesn't last long enough to get cabin fever. Love your pictures, so atmospheric, and Cody is just a darling!

    Keep warm and cosy

    Love Claire xx

    ReplyDelete
  22. Ah Cody looks so lovely sitting in the snow but I bet his bum was cold!!! What a terrible winter you're having out there Wendy, and cabin fever is such an awful thing to suffer from - I do hope you get a good amount of continuous sunshine soon so that you and Cody can get out and about again. And what about that 'gentleman' not lifting a hand to help a lady in distress - shame! Hugs, Joy xo

    ReplyDelete
  23. oh yes....we have had very cold temps but not so very much snow...until today. We are in the midst of a snowy blizzard with up to a foot expected....and they are calling for more on Saturday. I try to get out and walk a bit even though it is cold and snowy. Otherwise I get a little loopy cooped up indoors.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Look at all of that snow! My house is going to look like your house this weekend. We are going to have two rare snowstorms today and Saturday. So I had to go out last night and this morning to make sure we have all we need while we are snowbound this weekend. Your Cody looks so at home in the snow. I am glad you got out to visit your friend and your dad as well.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for leaving a comment, it's nice to know when you've stopped by! :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...