The Wind

This has been a particularly windy spring. I think I have said that before. It was windy again today.  Living in town, sometimes it is difficult to estimate just how hard the wind is blowing, and if you do not pay attention to what the mph means in terms of its effect on  you, the impact of the wind can be surprising.

The horizon profile and footprint of Lubbock has an interesting influence on the wind. Central Lubbock is surrounded by a Loop.  Inside the Loop, the impact of the wind is largely mitigated. Depending where you are, and the direction from which the wind is blowing, the impact can be tremendous. This is especially noticeable when the dust is barely blowing outside the Loop.  Inside the Loop, the dust may be barely noticeable on the horizon, but not in town.

In the winter, for houses who have pipes on the north side of the house, the pipes are more apt to freeze, than if the pipes are on the south side of the house.  My house faces north, so a north wind is not felt too badly in the back yard.  Because of fences, trees, and my neighbor's houses, a south or westerly wind is very noticeable in the trees, but not too bad in my yard.  I do feel the east wind, though.

My front porch is enclosed on 3 sides, open to the north. It gets no sun, so is cooler than the sunny air sometimes. But unless the wind is from the north, it is stiflingly warm in the summer, especially at night, when the concrete and brick have been absorbing heat all day.

Throughout town, inside and outside the Loop, large buildings have the same mitigating effect on the wind.  It is amazing.

The building I work in is in the middle of large cotton fields. We are outside the Loop. The parking lot is very large, and the walk to the building in the wind can be bitter.  Especially because the parking lot is open to the north.   As people on the South Plains like to say, there is nothing but barbed wire between us and the North Pole.  That factor often induces me to wear a much warmer coat in the mornings than I might otherwise choose.

So, we live with the wind. It influences many choices in our lives. A friend and I went out to see if it was too windy to go kayaking today.  The lake we use in town is a "run off lake."  The playas and canyon lakes catch a lot of run off water.  That means garden chemicals, street chemicals and trash accumulate in the lakes.  We do not mind kayaking on top of the water, but do we do not want to be swamped with waves on windy days.  It is less pleasant to kayak in the wind. If the water were clean, I would not mind getting wet on really warm days. But not with that water.

Bitter Cold

The first real bitter cold of the winter dropped upon us today.  True to form, our worst winter months are January and February.  It dawned gray, drizzly and cold and the day became colder as it wore on.  The biting wind did not help and created quite a wind chill factor.

The conversation at work was similar to what was in my head:  I had hoped we might dodge the winter bullet, as we have, sometimes in the past.  But not this year. However, if I had a choice, I would choose the deep wet snows of last winter, with the icy road conditions, over the bitter dry cold we have experienced so far this year.

But, the weather is not for my choosing, and my role is to cope as best I can: stay warm and dry, dress properly, keep my vehicle in good condition so it will run properly.

Today, when I left work, the Vue ground for a moment before it started:  a cold battery.  I am not sure if it is also a worn battery.  I remembered, though, a trick I did not need:  sometimes, turning the lights on briefly will warm the battery just enough to get it started, if it is cold and not discharged.

Stay warm.

Why Do I Get So Cold

This is not unusual, but I get so cold.  Most recently, while I have not been uncomfortable at work, I have noticed that my feet become very, very cold... I think I might start wearing my insulated hiking boots to work.

Last night and tonight, I have been very cold in the house, although the house is quite comfortable...I am sitting again, tonight, in my warm robe, warm neck pillow and I have the space heater running.

So, maybe I can feel warm, again.

Bone and Joint Pain

I grew up in New England, and some time in my early teens, I remember suffering from mild bone and joint pain.  I remember, in the middle of summer, being outside wrapped in a blanket to try to keep my bones warm.... It was not severe, but it was constant.  And uncomfortable.

I moved to Texas when I was in my mid 20s and was glad to be out of the cold, as I fiercely felt bone and joint pain in the cold and damp weather... I did not think again about the bone and joint pain until I had been in Texas about 15 or so years.  I noticed then that I had days, in the winter, when I was "stove up" or felt slow, painful, crippled, or stiff.

But those feelings were transient, and generally, I felt fine.  And I could not complain, because I had had those same feelings when I was in New England, and for so many years, they were non-existent.  I told myself, and others, that I was blessed with so many  years of no pain, that I could not complain about the minor pains I felt.

For a long time, I did not understand the true crippling nature of arthritis,  but in the late 1970s, I met someone whose hands were so gnarled and mangled, the fingers were at strange and painful looking angles. Yet this person persevered, and did what she could.  That made me realize that I was right to get out of a climate that could complicate my bone and joint pain. http://www.arthritis.org/

A few years ago, I realized one day that the knuckles on both of my thumbs were swollen and mishapen. They were not painful, and did not effect the functioning of my thumbs, but cosmetically, they were very ugly joints.  Some months ago, I have started to have the knuckles on the ring finger of my right hand "stick."  The knuckles just lock up, but with mild effort, are released.  In the last few days, I have noticed that the knuckles closest to my fingernails of my right hand are swollen.  They are red, but not painful.  Indeed my entire right hand is swollen in comparison to my left hand, the swelling being primarily at the knuckles...

The discomfort is mild, the swelling is mild and I suspect that all will dissipate in due time. For now...

Dry Skin

Living in West Texas, I have dealt with dry skin for a long time.  There are a combination of factors that contribute to dry skin. It is amazing how the arid atmosphere just seems to suck the moisture out of the skin.  When I travel to other parts of Texas, or the country, I can feel the moisture returning to my skin.  It is just amazing, and if you have not experienced it, this is something that is very difficult to understand.

The factors that influence dry skin include not only the arid climate, but the cold, and the wind. Additionally, in West Texas, the water is very hard, so often a shower feels like little sand grit being pelted at the body. It is not unusual for lips to chap and crack, even after just a few hours of exposure to the elements. Skin also chaps easily, and may be red, cracked, scaly, or all three.  It is also not unusual for skin just to be very itchy... And, in the winter time, the temptation is to take long hot showers, and we know that exposure to hot water contributes to the dry skin.

Years ago, I discovered that a coating of body lotion helped to keep the skin warm and not chapped in the winter weather. This is something I have used often, including if I know I am going to be out in the cold, I will lotion my legs and arms.

A problem area for dry skin is the torso... For some reason, that seems to dry out and become itchy early in the dry skin season.  Amazingly, a body wash with additives such as aloe, shea butter or oatmeal can make all the difference in the world.  I was once again amazed when I switched from my perfumed body wash to an oatmeal and shea butter body wash a few weeks ago. The first shower felt like I was slathering  my skin with comfort, instead of taking a shower in grit.  The relief was palpable. 

Dry skin seems to be a minor discomfort, but when the skin cracks, bleeds, and causes unceasing itching and pain, it is serious.  Open skin wounds are ripe areas for infection.  Just the pain and discomfort and distraction are serious.

Years ago, a friend suggested using Curél http://www.curel.com/products/default.aspx This product is pricier than some, but its soothing properties, and lack of greasiness are absolutely well worth the cost.  Because it is so effective, less is needed, and it lasts for quite a while.

Other products work, of course, with varying effectiveness.  The important thing to remember is to take care of your dry skin and chapped lips.

Winter Dry Skin

I always suffer from winter dry skin.  It is a combination of factors: the wind and cold seem to dry out skin out.  But we do not seem to be as thirsty, so we may drink fewer amounts of fluid.  The negative ions seem to dry us out.

Remember to drink plenty of fluids without caffeine or alcohol. Water is optimal, and do not forget, you can drink warmed water.  Juices are good. Cranberry juice is very good.

Use lotion or cream, whatever appeals to you...Although it is said that talcum powder dries the skin, it also seems to calm the itch... But use medicated powder or cornstarch, too.  Oatmeal soaps and bath preparations are very soothing to the dry skin.  Although a steaming hot shower sounds wonderful, the really hot water dries the skin.  Tone it down.

For the lips, use lip balm.  If your lips become chapped, a medicated lip balm is probably in order vs. a Vaseline only based product.

Keep your skin covered when in the cold.  Use a hat to decrease heat loss from your head. Stay warm.  Stay dry...