I don't understand winter without hibernation. I lived without it for a good long time. My wife and I wanted to live closer to my family, so we moved a few hours drive north. Now we get a real winter. Not as long or as brutal as further up the coast, but below freezing temperatures, salted roads, actual snow storms here and there winters. To make matters a bit worse, we live in a valley, but have a house on a mountain (the rental). Getting to that after snow is treacherous. My last trip up I passed three or four abandoned cars. One of which was nose down in a ditch. Probably totaled. My friends don't understand my owning a winter and non-winter car. For one thing, torque heavy Mustangs aren't fun in the snow or on ice. No fun at all. In fact, they be downright unwieldy. Secondly, the salt deteriorates a car much more quickly than just air and water. Thirdly, there are hills around here that would be near impossible to climb in the Mustang if they were covered in snow and the Jeep walks up them like it's any other day. Finally, I don't want someone who can't slow down because it's icy out to come sliding into me no matter what I'm driving, but I'd rather have to repair or replace my 24 year rust bucket of a Jeep than my now 10 year old, 60K mile garage kept Mustang.
The extreme cold also had some recent effects on my filming. A 500 watt bulb heating up suddenly in freezing temperatures is apt to "pop" and rain glass down everywhere. Pumpkins, even when left to soften up, form hard, armor like skin when frozen. This makes it difficult to pierce one with an arrow. Combine that with the round shape and they fly off in many directions. Most cameras will list a functional temperature. Below freezing is not recommended. Last year we kept burning through batteries on the shoot with Anjanette Clewis partly because of the age of the batteries, but also, I suspect, because it was 15 degrees out. We wrote the scene in just to take advantage of the snow and get something shot while we were stuck not being able to get our other cast members to us.
Anyway, the bears have it right. This is a time to sleep through. Tuck up in our caves and not go outside unless utterly necessary. Of course, we still need to eat in winter, although we do stock up on calories before the real cold hits. You may have seen my video about making a suit to bulk me up for a movie. Not needed. I have gained back about 9 pounds since Christmas. Our skin dries out. Our cars don't want to start as easily. Our heating bills go up. Pipes can freeze if not used. We gain time from having mow the lawn, but lose it to shoveling snow and digging out cars. We have to cover our windows in plastic, balance the temperatures between well insulated rooms of the house and the "summer room". It's just not a season I enjoy and the snow isn't predictable enough here, nor does it last long enough, for me to shoot my snow monster movie.
So, I always plan to spend this time writing, but the world conspires to interrupt that too. Holidays, parties, weather hold ups and "emergencies" interrupt every session at the computer longer than it takes to fire off one of these. The earlier it gets dark, the earlier I get groggy eyed and don't feel like doing much. Even watching bad movies has become tough. I haven't reviewed a movie for you guys since the new year began.
So, there you go. The bears are right. If you live where there is winter, charge your batteries and plan on staying inside. Maybe write or edit (if the power stays on) and try to keep warm. Drive something you don't mind getting rusty.
Temps go up to the 40s next week, so at least I can get some work done outside.
The extreme cold also had some recent effects on my filming. A 500 watt bulb heating up suddenly in freezing temperatures is apt to "pop" and rain glass down everywhere. Pumpkins, even when left to soften up, form hard, armor like skin when frozen. This makes it difficult to pierce one with an arrow. Combine that with the round shape and they fly off in many directions. Most cameras will list a functional temperature. Below freezing is not recommended. Last year we kept burning through batteries on the shoot with Anjanette Clewis partly because of the age of the batteries, but also, I suspect, because it was 15 degrees out. We wrote the scene in just to take advantage of the snow and get something shot while we were stuck not being able to get our other cast members to us.
Anyway, the bears have it right. This is a time to sleep through. Tuck up in our caves and not go outside unless utterly necessary. Of course, we still need to eat in winter, although we do stock up on calories before the real cold hits. You may have seen my video about making a suit to bulk me up for a movie. Not needed. I have gained back about 9 pounds since Christmas. Our skin dries out. Our cars don't want to start as easily. Our heating bills go up. Pipes can freeze if not used. We gain time from having mow the lawn, but lose it to shoveling snow and digging out cars. We have to cover our windows in plastic, balance the temperatures between well insulated rooms of the house and the "summer room". It's just not a season I enjoy and the snow isn't predictable enough here, nor does it last long enough, for me to shoot my snow monster movie.
So, I always plan to spend this time writing, but the world conspires to interrupt that too. Holidays, parties, weather hold ups and "emergencies" interrupt every session at the computer longer than it takes to fire off one of these. The earlier it gets dark, the earlier I get groggy eyed and don't feel like doing much. Even watching bad movies has become tough. I haven't reviewed a movie for you guys since the new year began.
So, there you go. The bears are right. If you live where there is winter, charge your batteries and plan on staying inside. Maybe write or edit (if the power stays on) and try to keep warm. Drive something you don't mind getting rusty.
Temps go up to the 40s next week, so at least I can get some work done outside.
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