Ice Age
Dear Daniel,
Wow, I haven't written to you in a long time! I'm sorry. We were really busy in December, and I think I got out of the habit of writing you during that time.
Have you heard about how cold it has been in Ukraine?? I was thinking about how you said you'd like to come visit during the winter so that you could make a snowman, but if your visit happened during the type of weather we've been having, you might change your mind! The temperature has gotten as low as -22F! Of course, those are just numbers to you, since you've never experienced anything that cold. This will give you an idea of what -22F is like: if you emptied out Mom's freezer and sat inside it, it would feel warm compared to the weather we've been having. When it's -22F and you breathe in through your nose, you can feel the moisture inside your nostrils turning instantly to ice, and the air burns in your windpipe. If you are dumb enough to step outside without gloves on, your fingers begin to ache almost immediately. If you wear glasses, when you come inside after being outside for a little bit, they immediately fog up because the lenses are so super cold. If you eat an ice cream cone, no matter how slowly you eat it, it never melts. In fact, the ice cream will actually get harder!
This weather is like an adventure. It's not exactly enjoyable, but at the same time, I don't really mind it for my own sake. However, I do feel sorry for homeless people and stray animals. (There are lots and lots of stray dogs and cats all over Ukraine.) Thankfully, I have the proper clothing to handle this kind of weather, but if I didn't, being outside would not only be miserable, it could be dangerous. You could easily freeze to death in these temperatures, not to mention getting frostbite.
I haven't been ill since the cold weather started. That's unusual for me. Usually I get sick several times a month during the winter, so I'm very thankful to be healthy now. Dad told me that you often get sick when the weather gets cold in California, so it's probably a good thing that you're not visiting us this winter. You couldn't make a snowman in this kind of weather anyway, because it's too cold for the snow to stick together. (Did you know that snow acts differently depending on the temperature? The best weather for snowman making is when it's right around freezing, which is +32F.)
What have you been doing lately? How's your dog Max?
Love, Sharon
P.S. I'm posting some winter pictures. To see them, click the "Winter Pictures" link under "Albums" on the sidebar.
