This winter is turning out to be a tough one for me. As one might expect, we’ve had lots of cold days this year. I generally do all right in low temperatures – I dress in layers and stay active, which keeps me warm. But that only works to a point (at least for me – I know there are far more intrepid souls who brave the sub-zero temps with panache), and it does not work on days when the mercury stays in the single digits (Fahrenheit).
This day it was still -10F at 10:00am. Too cold to play outside.
Our Petey Puppy doesn’t do well in the cold, either. We did get him some boots – which he loves about as much as you’d expect – but we haven’t gotten much use out of them. Just about the time they came in the mail was when my knee finally started pitching a real fit.
Gets sore paws when it’s below about 15F, but thinks it’s swimming weather if it’s 20F or above…
I saw my physician about my knee last year, and he “prescribed” insoles to support my arches. They helped, but didn’t fix the problem. I’ve hardly run in the past year, but had been doing okay walking as long as I watched my footing on the downhill bits. Then, a couple weeks ago, I had to jog Petey a few steps to get us through a salted patch in the road (really bad news for his paws, and he’s too heavy to carry). It took some limping and a bunch of four-letter words, but we made it home.
Unrelated to anything in this post. But aren’t they cool?
Thankfully, my doctor is still convinced I can fix this without surgery. I’ve started physical therapy, and my PT’s say I’ll notice an improvement within a couple weeks. So guess who’s been diligently spending time doing her PT homework in the basement? I might be stubborn, but I’m not stupid 😉
At least the cold and wind create beautiful things…
So the knee has been a big issue, but it’s not the only one. We’re also hesitant to make long-term plans (like being temporary snowbirds), because our house is still on the market. We went a few months with little activity, but have had three showings since we returned from Ohio last month. I think we’re being both optimistic and realistic about it. It’ll sell eventually – hopefully soon-ish!
Not much walking or running is required for these photography forays 🙂
It’s an odd thing, feeling hamstrung by a house we love, and don’t actually need to get rid of. However, we’re looking forward to the move, and the opportunities that will bring – like more chances to walk around the frozen waters of the bay in a pair of shorts and a light jacket 😉 Before you ask – yes, that is what I was wearing. No, I was not warm enough – it’s what I had on after yesterday’s physical therapy, and I was racing a setting sun.
Since I’ve been so quiet on the blog lately, I figure I ought to mention: I do post at least one photo a day on my Snap Happy Gal – Facebook page. It’ll give you an idea of what I’m up to, and give you a bit of eye candy so feel free to follow there. If you don’t FB but still want to see photos, I also share images on Flickr.
Adventures in Michigan's Up North 