The old man woke to the sound of his dog barking. He knew that his companion could smell the deer outside, so he slipped his winter boots on, and opened the door to let him out. The biting cold wind blew on him; he shivered and closed the door. Thunder, his Karakachan Bear dog, could be heard in the distance barking at the deer. He didn't feel the cold because he was so fluffy, a true winter dog. It could be far below zero(1), and he would still want to play and run in the snow.
The old man stoked up(2) the fire and looked out of the window. Icicles hung from the roof blocking his view of the mountain road. He looked through the evergreen forest to the distant glacier that always seemed to look back at him, another wilderness companion. His son and family were coming to visit; they did so often. They loved to go snowshoeing together and build an army of snowmen. But today was bitterly cold, and the road was probably blocked. "I'd better snowplow down to the main road, or they'll never get here." he thought to himself. Sometimes, the snow was so deep that he would have to transport his family, two by two, on his snowmobile, from the main road up to his house. For years his son had tried to convince him to move into town. "Why do you insist on living in such a place?" he would ask him. "You've already lost two fingers to frostbite." But the old man would no longer even reply. This was his place in life, in his cabin, on the mountain, through the storms, the snow, the freezes and the thawing and melting of the Spring. He couldn't imagine a better place to be.
He pulled on his winter boots, buttoned up his fleece coat, and grabbed his gloves and ear muffs as he left. Oh yes, it was nippy. The wind chill factor(3) made the cold feel sharp against his face. His eyes watered, and he pulled his warm hood over his head and buttoned up the neck. He pushed the fresh snow off of his snowplow, and started the engine. Thunder came running up behind him enthusiastically, ready for an adventure. "Come on boy!" said the old man. "Let's get to work!"
1. 'Zero, zero degrees, below zero, far below zero.'
a. It's below zero but the snow is still melting! The ground must be warmer than the air.
b. As the sun went down, the temperature dropped to far below zero. Everything was dark and frozen and still.
2. 'To stoke up the fire' means to make the fire bigger. It can, of course, be used figuratively.
a. The fire has died down. Let's stoke it up! I'm getting cold!
b. His words stoked (up) the argument. They were not very helpful.
3. 'The wind chill factor' is how the wind can add to the effect of the temperature.
a. The temperature didn't seem too bad, but the wind chill factor made quite a difference when we started hiking.
b. The movement of the air on your skin chills you more than just the outside temperature.
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Two days ago, we were hit hard(1) by snow. It snowed all night, leaving a thick blanket that seemed to insulate everything. The entryway, driveway, and neighborhood road looked like they had been carpeted with white. The back garden has got deeper and deeper with snow, as we don't clear it. There is nothing to do in the garden now that it is winter, nothing other than playing and building snowmen. There is, however, one place in the back that I have to keep clear of snow. That is the bird feeding area. Because we live in the country, and our neighborhood has many trees, there is a huge variety of birds that live here. The ones who stay in the winter need food, and that is where I come in(2). I like to help them a little, even though I know that they are very capable of helping themselves. I put a couple of dishes of bird seed out for them, and then I made frozen balls of bacon fat and seed. I hung these balls from the trees, and hurried back into the kitchen to watch from a comfortable spot. Gradually more and more birds swooped into my garden and came to the feast. They were little round birds who hopped quickly, fought with each other, and twittered(3). They acted like excited, young school girls at the shopping mall. Before long, the seed was gone. I hunted around in my garage for more bags, and managed to find just enough for the birds' second course. I decided to add some dry dog food to the mix. The birds came in a second time, but then suddenly flew away. There was an ugly squawking sound, and suddenly, I saw four beautiful blue jays. They swallowed up the dog food in no time, and left as soon as it was gone. Bird watching is proving to be quite addicting, especially when these loud but lovely birds come to visit.
1. 'To be hit hard by ...' is a phrase that can be used in the context of weather, financial problems, or many other kinds of changing situations.
a. We were hit hard by job losses when the factory closed.
b. The whole state was hit by a heat wave that dried up the farms.
c. A migraine hit me hard, so I had to pull over and take some medication.
2. 'That is where ...come/comes in' is a casual and slightly playful way of introducing something into a clear context.
a. The skiers will come in the restaurant looking for a warm meal. And that is where the new chefs come in. They will have hot stews and soups ready for them.
b. Tourists typically try to see the most historically significant places in a city, but it is difficult. That is where a guide comes in. He can save the tourists a lot of time and frustration.
3. 'To twitter'. It must be one of the most well-known words at the moment because of the social media giant, Twitter. It describes the quick, chatting noise that a bird makes which is different from its singing.
a. I love the spring, but oh my goodness, the birds start their twittering at 5am!
b. What are you two twittering about?
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