I've been out to my tank room three times to turn up the heat so my water won't freeze. The prediction is for as low as 35° below, and right now, at midnight, it's -20°F. This is all in the way of a normal Interior Alaska winter. We'll see a few days or weeks of -30° and -40° and there is always one weekend where it hits at least -50° or worse, especially down in the flats in North Pole. My house has a little elevation so I don't have quite the lows that folks in the valleys do. You wouldn't think that -20° felt a lot warmer than -30° but it does.
No need to worry about whether I'm warm or not, as I have my wonderful Toyo Stove to keep the house nice and warm. It only takes 350 gallons of fuel oil per year to heat my house, and I'm not talking about worrying about keeping the thermostat down to 68°, I can hike it up to whatever I like and I'll do fine. I put more than that in my tank so that I'll have something of a safety measure. So I paid $1144 for 400 gallons of #1 fuel oil and that's my heating bill for the entire year.
As for the dogs, they do fine. Although there is nothing like -20° to make them take care of their business right quick! I guess it's time to get the booties out as entertaining as it is to see Ole try to stand to pee on only two feet...and switching feet while he's peeing. Sofie does her thing and then just curls up in a little ball with her feet tucked under and waits until Ole is done.
You don't have to worry about me because I have all the necessary winter gear. I have a nice big pot of beef stew made, sheepskin slippers, and silk long underwear. Not to mention dogs to cuddle. What more could I want?
