We’re halfway into January now, and we’ve been enjoying a bit of a heat wave in Laramie: Temperatures in have climbed into the thirties and even forties after long stretches of single digits. What have I learned, or re-learned, this winter?

1. January and February always feel like the longest months of winter for me. The snow’s been on the ground for quite sometime now, and much of it is drifted, crusted, or iced over. The holidays are behind us, and though some houses still sport Christmas lights, which bring me so much joy in December, those lights seem sad to me now, lingering past their season. However, the days are getting longer. It is no longer dark when I leave work, and the days of walking the dogs by streetlight are numbered.
2. Never leave your house totally unattended when temperatures drop below zero even before wind chill is factored in. Rob and I live in a small apartment building owned by my parents, and we manage the property. For the first time in living memory, the residents of all three units (including us) left town for the holidays. Of course, Laramie underwent a major cold snap right after Christmas, and our old, tired boiler failed. Thank goodness our good friends were checking on our cats – when they found the water dish frozen and the apartment ice cold, they called us at my parent’s house and then stayed to thaw pipes and get space heaters running until we were able to pack up and drive home. Thanks B&L! We were incredibly lucky. Our pipes did not freeze solid and therefore there was no damage once we got things defrosted. Because the boiler is older than I am, we had to wait for two days for a new part to be delivered before the plumbers could get the heat back on. Space heaters and long-underwear and stocking caps inside kept us warm. I grew up hearing horror stories about frozen pipes, but I had to experience it first hand before realizing how serious the situation can become so quickly. (P.S. Our cats are fine, though they camped out in front of the heaters once we got the boiler fixed and seemed reluctant to leave that beautiful warmth.)
3. Because of the above mentioned factors, January makes a good time to look at houses. Rob and I are starting a search for a home with property for Tucker and his future horse companions, and anything that looks good with the winter wind howling is going to look a lot better come spring. Contrarily, every property on the Laramie plains looks amazing and green in June. If we look now, we’ll know what to expect come next winter.