Cold Snap

Can you believe that the official temperature of San Miguel de Allende this morning was 28 degrees? Unheard of for this early in the winter. I don't know where they take the "official" temperature but on our patio the thermometer read 40 degrees. Since the patio is the kitchen during construction, making toast and coffee today was a bit chilly. I'm sure that up on the hill or out in the campo the frost was on the pumpkin or cactus or whatever. If you are really from the NORTH and you are thinking that 28 degrees isn't that cold, it is for me because at 28 degrees in Houston, Texas we start talking about closing highways and schools!

But actually I'm warmer this morning than I have been for the last five days. The first couple of days when this cold front moved in we had strong winds and overcast skies. The middle of the day never warmed up as it usually does in the 8-week winters of San Miguel. I didn't want to stick my head out the door. I just wanted to stay in the studio where the fireplace was going. Still my hands and feet felt cold. I looked ridiculous walking around the house in a long sleeve shirt, sweater and muffler. But I didn't care. I just wanted to be warm.

The houses are not insulated and for most of them the fireplace is the only heating that is in the house. Some of the gringo houses are big and a fireplace can only do so much so you hear a lot of complaints from the gringos, especially the ones who are here visiting, about the cold. Fortunately for us, our house isn't that big and the way it is built we can close off the room we are in and light the fireplace and be fairly warm. We have a warming blanket on the bed so we are nice and toasty during the night. Then, lucky me, my beloved bedmate gets up first in the morning and lights the bedroom fireplace and turns on the little electric heater in the bathroom. Then by the time I get to the studio/office, he has the fireplace there lit too.

Lots of the full time gringos escape to the beaches of Mexico during the winter months by renting condos or houses for a month. I've never felt like I needed to do that until this week but if we ever have a month of overcast, cold days without any warming sun in the middle of the day, I may have to re-consider.