Heeding the weather warnings about the coming arctic blast due to arrive Sunday, everyone from window box gardeners to landscaping crews have been taking measures to protect tender vegetation today. Vine-covered walls are now draped in covers.
As one homeowner put it, “I’m not going to pay to have our plants replaced.”
The Dallas Arboretum is encouraging area gardeners to put to use frost cloth for any tender annuals, perennials or new plantings, since January is usually the coldest month in North Texas.
With the possibility of Ercot being overly challenged or power lines being damaged, some folks are getting ready for a worse-case scenario. Recalling last year’s days without electricity, one mom said she was preparing to deal with her family sans internet and electric-fed games. She went to big stores like Hobby Town and Target and online providers like Toy R Us and Amazon to buy board games and jigsaw puzzles to lighten up the potential dark times.
Don’t be surprised if you head to the grocery store in the next 48 hours and find you’re not the only ones searching for comfort on the shelves.
If you know of a first-time homeowner, you might want to give them a friendly warning about their pipes. For instance, they may not know that they might want to leave cabinets open (for warm air to keep the pipes from freezing) and to let their faucets steadily drip.
On the other end of the spectrum, please don’t let any of your senior family members and friends think they can handle the cold. If they’re worried about taxing their utility bill by keeping the heat going, The Senior Source can help them deal with extra charges. Also, if you manage to have your favorite senior(s) spend some time with your household, have them share stories about past frigid times. Boy, don’t you just know they have some whoppers to tell like the infamous 2011 Super Bowl or the legendary Great Texas Freeze: February 11-20, 2021, and just maybe the record-breaker on January 18, 1930, when the low temperature hit -3° F. Not only will it serve as a learning lesson, it will help them feel the importance of staying with you.
And if you think the animals can fend on their own, rethink that one. They are in definite need of shelter and food. Bring them inside. If you can’t, make sure that their outdoor habitats are insulated and food and water are available.
While all this preparation may seem a bit like overkill, the week ahead is only the beginning of North Texas’ annual chill zone that tends to extend into March. And as old-timers will tell you, Mother Nature makes up the rules and all you can do is “weather” her antics.
Let’s hope that emerging from the miserably cold period will be with as few regrets as possible.