How are you dealing with the hard freeze?
 

Here’s a picture of icicles I thought I’d never see in Florida! Hope you’re all keeping warm and having a lovely X-Mas time.

Here are some ugly blankets/sheets I came up with for my bushes. Sorry to all who have to see them for the next couple days!

Not used to the cold anymore having lived in Central Florida since June or so of 1996. Had to get the coat I had when I lived in Minneapolis out and also put a few layers on as well.

All perspective.

Called my brother today in northern MN. Turns out that up thataway this afternoon they were expecting 30-40 mph winds and temps around the -10 range. That on top of the two feet of snow they've already gotten before the official first day of winter.

I told him I had to cover my zucchini and tomato plants last night.

His response: "Don't take this personally but... go bleep yourself!"

Yep group text our oldest in MN, minus anything is worse than a cold snap in FL. Then middle child “snow predicted 2” to 24”, in MI, want to come snow blow? The youngest in Louisville, it’s 1 degree with snowy mix, and my employees wonder why I drive a Jeep. Then each sent a emoji to our 24 degree cold snap.

A friend had to walk a neighbor's dog today, as his neighbor is out of town overnight. He reported that it was -6 with the wind chill factor.

I went out today and walked, wearing the inner "fake-fur-lined" shell of my northern winter coat, and a cheap pair of stretchy knit gloves. It felt AWESOME to have that sun on my face while walking in the cold air. I really miss New England on days like this. I don't miss the snow. I don't miss the weeks of dim, dull, cloud-covered daylight when the wind is blowing endlessly and you can't feel the tissue to wipe your nose anymore. But days like today - just perfect.

If it’s going to be this cold, a little snow with beige snowflakes would be pretty, with the sun making them sparkle. I do miss watching snow fall outside a window, the snow blowing, not so much.

So here’s to A Merry Christmas in TV with 24° temperatures, and not a snowflake in site

Yup!

I agree, I always preferred there be snow when it was cold. One of these Christmas seasons it will happen here I reckon, but I still would prefer there was no freeze at all!

The only snow I want to see is on a Christmas card.
As for my landscaping, I planted hardy shrubs that may freeze and die back. But, in the past I have just cut the dead off and they have always come back in the spring. I don't bother to cover anything.
Couple of years ago, during one particular cold day, I was leaving Publix and passed a guy entering and shivering. He said to me, " I must have made a wrong turn from the freeway because I thought I was in Florida. This ain't the Florida I saw on the post card."

Cold
 

Visiting Upstate NY for the holidays. Only 13 degrees this morning but no snow or ice. So not a bad day.

Oh my!!!

we bought Our third house in December 2014. Flew down In January to ready the house for parents to winter in place. in three days it was 70 then 40 and on the third day, it snowed while we were playing golf. just few flurries, but wow it was really cold driving in the golf cart

Just drive down to Richmond, new builds forgot to shut off sprinklers. All the bushes have icicles, and the lawns are very frosted over. Oops

Here's a good example of what can thrive or die in The Villages. Marigolds and begonias have frozen, but the purple ones are still fine! Wow.

Monday and it’s over, Now to remove and fold up the painters tarps and blankets for next year! Had an excellent Christmas Eve Dinner at The Legacy! The Cold didn’t seem to deter many from going out and celebrating baby Jesus’s Birthday

Why are you sorry? Don’t be!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

3 nights of getting up every 3 hours and running the water from each faucet inside the house. Both outdoor faucets are dripping and one in the house is dripping. In a manufactured home the pipes under the house are insulated but I’m not certain they can withstand such low temperatures for so long. Can you imagine calling a plumber on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? If you could get one to come out for a broken pipe they would deserve to charge a big premium. Anyway it seems we made it through. I have two pressure gauges on the water lines and they seem to be holding at the proper level.
After this experience no matter what anyone else would try I would absolutely heat tape, miles of it wrapped on all the pipes under our beloved Loveshack. God we love living here for so many reasons but it’s time to go. In The Villages but time to try something different. We love it here because of the neighbors and everything else that goes along with daily living. We will keep our Doctors but it’s time to roll.
I will forever defend mightily the Historic Section. It’s the people who make it phenomenal but it’s getting to be a challenge to maintain as we are aging. Destination UNKNOWN at this point. Sorry for rambling but it just all came out! Lol

Thanks, now that I think of it, it's fun to see all the various materials used to protect our flora!

I have tripled my daily intake of alcohol.

So far I haven't frozen to death.

Pickleballs crack when it’s below 40*, probably shatter below 30*, but I don’t plan to find out.
Saddlebrook Jim

I think that we are all strong enough to handle that visual trauma!

Some of the Florida orange grove owners used to like to spray water on the orange trees thinking that the ice coating PROTECTED them. I am NOT sure that it was a good idea?

Purple power! don't mess with the Purple.

Still doing that, still works………………per numerous articles on the NET.

As rambles go, that was a pretty good one. Good luck with your new elsewhere and unknown location.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to work for about 40 people that died from the cold up north. Some were found dead in cars and snowbanks. Pretty sad way to go. And with the advanced warning about the storm, it is a sad indictment on society and the local communication system as to where to shelter. Maybe cities should train rescue dogs like I read (a long time ago) that countries like Switzerland and Sweden do. I wonder how Canada handles those situations, they get even colder? And , of course, Alaska where it must be STAY INSIDE or die.

See, just as I warned - another reason NOT to play Pickleball.

Thank you!

Didn't do anything to protect water lines, since they go under ground within a few feet, the water stays warm enough to not freeze.

No issues.

Yeah, I mean why would people who have been growing oranges for 100 years have a clue as to what to do in a frost?

Apparently you are not familiar with the latent heat of phase change. Why am I not surprised?

Purple ones are called Salvia

I read about the deaths in Upstate NY....I didn't read that they had tripled their alcohol intake.
Not too sure why you chose my tongue-in-cheek response as the one to quote to make your point.

To quote a scholar:

"I say, I say, that joke just flew right over your head son. Nice boy but he's as sharp as bowling ball"

- Foghorn leghorn

Zucchini? Not here but, I grew zucchini once at my previous home. I put in 5-6 plants on a wooden frame and had tons of zucchini. I couldn't give them away fast enough.

My niece just bought a house in Buffalo. I've asked my sister WHY and there is no reply. Call her? Explain that a snow shovel is a manure shovel here. If, it snows, there are people here that do not know how to make a QUALITY snowball.

HUH? We've all made mistakes. Most mistakes are the fault of the person or people who made them, NOT OTHERS.

I only use Sferra sheets to cover my shrubbery, but hey; you do you.

Falling Iguanas
 

In Boca Grande we have Iguanas falling from the trees.