Warmth

Cool, rainy (low 30s)

When I started working winters out here, I couldn’t believe how cold I got. I’d be wet and shivering, or dry and shivering, but always shivering. I used lame space heaters (the kind that are just an electrical coil with a dish behind) to attempt warmth, and failed miserably.

This year it’s been different. I’m not all that cold anymore. I don’t need to go inside all that often. Yes, I’m cold; my hands are usually a little stiff, and my legs are usually freezing, but somehow it’s stopped bothering me like it used to.

I’ve been thinking about this because of the kids who stay out here in little pyramid tents, cooking meals over a gas stove and hanging out near a fire. It used to amaze me that these kids stayed warm enough, but it doesn’t so much anymore. I’m beginning to wonder if our bodies adjust to prolonged cold, if somehow our circulation begins to accommodate conditions we once would have hated.

And that concludes the most boring blog of all time.