You wouldn’t have guessed it based on the previous month’s temperatures, but today is the first day of winter. According to Weather Underground, the month’s mean temperature is a balmy -25 degrees C (-13 F).
December Temperature
But numbers mean little when you can’t see them through your frozen eyelashes.
Frozen Eyelashes on a Ski Lift
In honor of the Winter Solstice and the reality that is finally sinking in, I’d like to share a Mongolian saying I just heard last night. It’s called “The Nines of Winter” and divides the upcoming chilly 81 days into nine sets of nine days.
The First Nine: Milk vodka congeals and freezes The Second Nine: Vodka congeals and freezes The Third Nine: Tail of a three-year-old ox freezes The Fourth Nine: Horns of a four-year-old ox freezes The Fifth Nine: Boiled rice no longer congeals and freezes The Sixth Nine: Roads become visible from under the snow and ice The Seventh Nine: Hilltops appear The Eighth Nine: Ground becomes damp The Ninth Nine: Warmer days set inSo, there you have it. Maybe it’s time to get that extra pair of long johns I’ve had my eye on.
