Grey skies forever

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While middle America is getting pounded by snow, the only thing we have had in Texas is cold rain.  Again.  The colour scheme of January is grey and brown but without the twinkling lights of the holidays.  We pulled all of the holiday decorations during the one sunny day we've had so far this year and now everything seems incredibly bare.  Even the rosemary cone I kept inside for Christmas decided that it's had enough of winter and is slowly in the process of giving up the ghost to the cold and the gloom.

The dog - being the dog - pays no mind to the mud or the cold, splashing wildly in the puddles we find at the park and liberally coating himself with muck.  White dog becomes grey on a daily basis and I mercilessly hose him off outside in the front yard.  Don't worry you worry about him freezing his furry buns, the spoiled brat gets tucked in with a fleece blanket every night in his bed.

The horse is fuzzy, despite our erratic blanketing, her long coat perfect for picking up mud when the herd does get turned out.  The paddocks are a swamp and her blanket used to be navy blue, I think, but is now just brown.  In our grooming process, I completely skip over brushing out her tail which is tangled with dried mud.  Rolling - it's her favourite.

I recently remarked to Bryan that we've lived in our house longer in cold weather than warm weather.  I've almost forgot what it's like to get eaten by mosquitoes in our backyard.  Instead we shuffle around indoors in the coziest of house slippers and are constantly sipping our collection of tea.  Occasionally that morphs into a hot toddy or rum & hot cocoa on the chilliest of nights.  I'm in static-laden layers constantly. 

When I'm not outside cleaning animals, I've resigned myself to curling up on the couch with a book and a blanket, eating shortbread cookies.  Or cleaning the house of dog hair.  Rinse and repeat routine I'm ready for spring.

I suppose this is the true season for embracing hygge.  How do you all stay warm in the winter time without eating all the cheese?