I've not yet properly got used to the idea that we are in Autumn, so I was rather shocked when I got to Abercorn this morning to discover snow lying on the ground!
Apparently, at 4am this morning the whole area was blanketed by snow, most of which had melted by the time I arrived at 9:30.
Later on, someone commented that after this cold morning they were looking forward to getting back to their lovely warm house. And it stimulated us to recall that life used to be much harder.
On a day like today it would be a frequent physical task to fetch in the coal or logs to keep the downstairs fire burning. The fire(s) would have to be made up in the morning, raked out, kept stoked and burning throughout the day to keep the cold at bay. And if you were lucky then you might get a fire in your bedroom grate for a little while before bedtime.
In these days of electric, gas, or oil-fired, central heating it is an easy task to keep the house warm. Although with the recent dramatic rises in fuel costs it's not so easy to pay the bills.
There again, when we think of the rise in global carbon dioxide levels from burning fossil fuels, that have set the world on a path of rising temperatures, perhaps we should be thinking harder about heating our homes.
When it is cold outside we like to come into a warm house and take off all our cold weather clothing. But perhaps we should be thinking about wearing warming clothing indoors and turning down our thermostats by several degrees.
It's not become standard practice in our house yet. But I think we might start practicing before much longer!
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