Riding a bike in Extreme Wind Chills

Likely by the time my readers (both of you) read this the cold snap will be over, but for now—it is cold cold cold.

Thankfully, my tiny house is up to it. Nevertheless, the floor is ceramic tile and retains the cold and there are pockets in the house that are cold. In the morning when I resuscitate my composting toilet by rotating the arm inside the bottom basin to break down tissue, etc, it feels as if I am moving a block of ice, as if I’m in an outhouse. Maybe not that bad.

Even a nature lover like me has her limits. The night time sky has been clear and the moon bright—but I’m not likely to stand out there and admire it. I rush from my door to the sliding back door of my daughter’s house.

Riding into work has become an exercise in layering. Thick wool socks, boots for the feet, leggings, pants, then over pants for the legs, up top a turtleneck under a shirt under a sweat shirt under a puffy coat under a windproof outer layer. A balaclava, hat, liner gloves and then super thick lobster gloves for the head and hands. I wear a pair of safety glasses to protect my eyes. I’m so stiff in this multitude of clothes that I feel like an overstuffed closet—best to just shut the door and wait for it to fix itself.

It takes me almost ten minutes to get ready.

Temps are expected to moderate later today, so when I ride home after work, I’ll have some extra clothes in my saddle bags. Hopefully.