Freeze Frames

Ever wonder what can freeze up when the temperatures drop way below zero? Here are a few pics of some  of those unexpected things!

The front door of our new house!

There was just a tiny space around the lock which allowed air to be exchanged. The combination of warm air from the inside of the house and the cold outside air would cause our keyhole to freeze up every night when the temperatures were below -30 degrees Celsius.

Hair dryer to the rescue!

Every morning when we went to unlock the front door we had to plug in the hair dryer and melt the ice that had gathered around the lock that previous night while we slept. So, that brings me to another all-purpose tool here in Siberia...the hair dryer! We have gone through several because some of them are not only used to style the hair on our heads but, to thaw pipes, to warm car engines...the list goes on!

The front wall of the old house was not insulated very well, maybe even not insulated! We would be very anxious to see the insides of those walls if we ever decide to tear down that house. As a result, any boxes or containers had to be moved away from the walls especially during the winter months since the humidity in the air would not get "stuck" in the corners between the walls and any containers and freeze. So, that means that several toy containers would have to be regularly cleaned out to remove the water standing in the bottom of them. Sometimes we waited too long to do a clean up and the water froze the toys (Hot Wheels in this case) in place!

Both cars have a layer of ice on them.

During our first winter living in the old house, 2006, our daughter's bed had to be set up along that bad wall in her room. This meant that when her bed was made her comforter also touched the wall.  

Beka showing off her icicle collection (2006).

One morning she noticed her comforter was unusually cold in one spot and she then found that icicles were hanging from it! Beka had a great time telling that story the next time we returned to the US for furlough!