We did have a pretty hard frost the night before last. When I woke up yesterday morning, there was ice on the lawn (and on this fallen rose petal)...
...and the bird bath was frozen solid.
I was finally able to pick up our dehumidifier from work, where I had it shipped (and where it arrived last Thursday). I brought it home on the tube, unboxed it and plugged it in, and it began humming with a soft white-noise sound. I left it overnight, and this morning I emptied a liter of water out of its reservoir! I'm going to move it from room to room for a few days. It certainly seems effective. I swear I can even feel the difference -- my skin feels drier in this room, and this morning there's no condensation on the windows.
Our library Christmas tree arrived yesterday. I got out the lights and dutifully strung them on the branches, and plugged them into the extension cord that we store in the ceiling for that purpose. So now it's wired and the kids from the Middle School librarian's homeroom class can add the baubles and whatever else they desire. (That's my hope, anyway. I don't mind doing the lights but I'd much rather have them do the rest!) I'm going to take some of our own ornaments to school and add them to the stash, since Dave and I seldom bother with a tree of our own -- aside from the avocado.
Yes, our bird drinkers were frozen yesterday too, we haven't needed to check them every day until now.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't frost highlight some details and hide others!
Well done on the dehumidifier. You don't realise just how much moisture is in the air, but thereagain we are breathing out damp air all the time!
"Bird drinkers" -- I like that! Never heard them called that before. :)
DeleteYou could get some avocado-shaped baubles for your "tree". That would look so cool. As for the de-humidifier - I hope it doesn't send your electricity bill soaring. But a whole litre in one night is astonishing!
ReplyDeleteAnd that liter was only the beginning!
DeleteFor no real reason as we don't suffer from humidity inside, I'm interested to hear of the ongoing performance of your dehumidifier.
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know!
DeleteHad to plug in my bird bath heater a couple of weeks ago. Bird's were not amused to find a skating rink one morning instead of their drinking (and bathing) pool.
ReplyDeleteOh, a heater! I hadn't even thought of that. Maybe we should get one.
DeleteThat rose petal looks like some sort of colored ice cube! Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteIt's about the most colorful thing in the garden!
DeleteI can tell that we got frost last night too. The leaves are dripping as the sun melts it.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is going to come, isn't it? Dammit.
It is indeed. It is inevitable, I'm afraid.
DeleteWe're getting fog in the mornings but not frost even though we've had our coldest nights so far. On a warming trend now. The AC reduces the humidity for us in the summer. I suppose the heater must too.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, the heater enables the air to hold the moisture better (warmer air holds more moisture) but it doesn't really remove it. The dehumidifier will do that.
DeleteWe have the opposite problem in our house. I have a whole house humidifier that adds humidity to the air during winter. When it is broke (like it is now for the first time in the ten years we've had it), I can feel my skin and throat drying out. Hopefully my part arrives tomorrow as promised so I can get back to living in more humidity.
ReplyDeleteEngland is a very damp place overall. I can't imagine needing to add more humidity! (Florida, my original home turf, was the same.)
DeleteOh wow, you just reminded me that we have a dehumidifier. We hardly ever use it (probably because we forgot we have it) and our windows are definitely full of condensation in the morning. I am going to get that out of the garage and plug it in.
ReplyDeleteAh Christmas. I read headlines now that say people are rushing to get their trees because there could be a Christmas Tree shortage.
Yeah, try it out! If you don't have any ill effects from moisture you may not need it, but it would be interesting to try and see how much water you can pull out of the atmosphere.
DeleteBrrrr...that looks so cold. That rose petal looks sugar coated.
ReplyDeleteI bet the kids enjoy decorating the tree. I used to enjoy it but these days I'm just as happy not having a tree any longer. Sometime this week, I'll dig out the few decorations I have. I did order a new wreath yesterday. I'm tired of the one I've used for the past three years.
We never have a tree at home. It's too much trouble for just us. Besides, I get my fix at school!
DeleteHope the dehumidifier solves your mold trouble.
ReplyDeleteI think it is nice that you let the students decorate the library tree. Quite a few people in my neighborhood have their trees up already (I did get out for my walk yesterday and like to peek in the windows as I stroll by!)
Christmas is zooming towards us! Yikes!
I know! How did this happen?!
DeleteGood luck with your de-humidifier. I hope it does the trick.
ReplyDeleteSo far, so good!
DeleteHow nice to have that library Christmas tree. Unlike you, I could live without stringing the lights, but love hanging the ornaments — at least our ornaments, which all have special memories. That frosted rose petal is glorious... as long as I’m not the one experiencing the frost.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't love doing the lights, but that's really a job for an adult so I always wind up doing them. The kids can manage the baubles.
DeleteAnd here we suffer from too little humidity. In the winter we all get winter itch from dry skin. Glad it's working well. That is astounding, a litre of water out of the air.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I think when it's very cold the moisture in the air freezes and it gets very dry -- but it's usually not that cold here in London.
DeleteI mith you.....Happy belated Thanksgiving and your get away was great. I've been reading but haven't commented because you had a troll that came after what I said about Monica and I know you notice I took her down very low and I feel bad when I have to do that Steve(weeks later, lol but not right then) I will never understand idiots. I enjoy good people like yourself, Dave and Olga. I have been laughing at Olga under the blanket. We're having some cold weather here but not like yours. I haven't seen any ice yet. That is a lot of accumilated humidity. Tell Dave and Olga I said hello.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got a kick out of Olga! She loves her blankets. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving too!
DeleteFinally caught up with your blog! I can't believe I had missed 5 days. I'm a slacker.
ReplyDeleteIt was COLD here this morning (in the 20s). After almost 5 years back in NC I'm getting less used to the cold. I was pretty salty about having to pull out my heavy winter coat this morning.
Oh, Lord, it's hard to keep up with blogland. Believe me, I understand. I love your use of the word "salty" in that sentence. LOL
DeleteEach climate is different. Here it is very dry so I have a humidifier. In the summer I have to use a dehumidifier. I hope this works well for you.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it doesn't get cold enough here to pull all the moisture out of the air like it does in very cold places.
DeleteI'm so glad it is working.
ReplyDeleteIt's a miracle!
DeleteThe frost on the rose petal makes a beautiful photo! (I'm half way through Lawn Boy and enjoying it)
ReplyDeleteGlad you're liking it! I can't wait to hear what you think in the long haul.
DeleteWe have to do the same as Red - in the winter we use a steam vaporizer that humidifies and in the summer we use the dehumidifier. There is a balance that is healthy for your skin, eyes, nose and throat. If your dehumidifier doesn't state what the percentage humidity for that is, Mr. Google will tell you. I can't recall what the number is. I just know now when I need more moisture or less.
ReplyDeleteFrost! We haven't had too much of that here yet, but we did have snow a few times! (but it melted)
Our indoor humidity seems to hover in the 52-62 percent range -- at the upper end when I first turn on the dehumidifier, and at the lower end after it's been running for eight hours or so.
DeleteWe're in the midst of what the Weather Gods are terming (laughingly) an Indian Summer. Nevertheless, temperatures around 70 degrees F. suit me just fine.
ReplyDeleteIs that unusual for Arizona? I would think it's normally pretty warm there in the winter, no? In Florida 70-degree daytime temps in winter are not unusual.
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