Cold

 

This is me on Monday, discovering that -11 degrees means wearing a scarf over your face if you have spent the last five decades in Vancouver's temperate winters. Unaccustomed to the bite, my cheeks and nose went into shock. Photo by John Denniston.

How cold was it on Monday? So cold that the hummingbird feeder froze in half an hour. So cold that the hummingbirds zoomed at the thawed-out feeder the moment it came out the door.  So cold that I bought a second feeder so I can quickly switch liquid for solid, without worrying that a tiny hunched turquoise bit of feathers might die if it doesn’t get dinner.

Wild Birds Unlimited, where I buy my bird-feeding supplies, said warmers for hummingbird feeders wouldn't be available for a few days, so I bought a second feeder to spell off the first when it freezes.