Staying in or Going Outside

On my two days off this week I caught up on a lot of tv. I watched two movies that I rented and watched some of my favorite shows On Demand. This was planned. The weather was brutally cold and I just didn't feel like dealing with it. By mid-afternoon the second day, I was going stir crazy. I was cussing the cold and the fading sunlight. I made a decision that for me spring had come. Despite the three feet of snow and the 18 inches of ice, damn it, I was not going to waste away in the house.
Then I looked up the ten day forecast. Other than yesterday, just about everyday has a high around twenty degrees. Most mornings when we wake up will be around zero. This put a huge damper on my new plan to get outside. Lets face it, there is a huge difference between 35 degrees (roughly the average high this time of year) and the temps we are experiencing.

All last week I was shoveling roofs. Some for work, mine, and my best friend's Laurie. Laurie's roof is slanted. I was up there for three hours scared shitless of falling the twenty feet to the ground. It occurred to me that I was shoveling these roofs in below zero wind chills. Not once can I say I was cold. Of course on Laurie's roof, I concentrated each step. Shoveling is tiring, so I built up quite a bit of body heat.

So I decided that despite the below zero wind chills and the single digit mornings, I am not letting the weather stop me. Today I went snowshoeing at an RI Audubon Sanctuary after work named Caratunk. The weather was 18 degrees, wind chill of 4 degrees and cloudy. I hiked for about 90 minutes. I had more fun than if I sat home or went to the gym. I built up a sweat, but never enough to unzip my jacket, however I can say I didn't get cold.

My friend Dave and I talk all the time about how a 25 degree day with a bright sun can be down right pleasant. We agree that our bodies adjust to the cold if out in it enough. I have noticed that by the end of a winter striper fishing I'm just wearing a sweatshirt on thirty degree nights.

This year a sunny 25 degree day or a 30 degree night are nothing more than a pipe dream. So for this Arctic cold spell, I have not done much outside , thinking it was too cold. To Dave's credit, he has been out skiing and instructing all winter no matter the temperature. By no means had a been a couch potato, but I was selective on which days I'd "play" outside.That was until I shoveled those roofs. So even though I can't wait to fish open water or hike on dirt and rocks instead of the fluffy white stuff I'm going outside anyway.