January 18, 2025 ~ Saturday (17° out and 5″ of snow … where is Spring?!)
Hibernation … what I seem to be doing at the moment … is a seasonal heterothermy – ‘the physiological adaptation that allows animals to regulate their body temperature in response to seasonal changes in environmental conditions’.
That’s a mouthful. In other words … according to Google … it is ‘the state of deep sleep in which animals reduce their body temperature, heart rate, and breathing to survive the winter. It’s a way for animals to conserve energy when food is scarce and temperatures are low’.
Yup – seems to be what I’m doing.
We are currently 17° and dropping. Our weather turned from 51° yesterday to 23° in a couple of hours … and then the snow started and the temps kept going down. I think we are to be a balmy -7° tonight. Round up the dogs and put on an extra blanket! I was just out shoveling a path for the dogs and to my car (though I’m not going anywhere until Tuesday) and it seems we got a good 5″ of the white stuff … though it’s fluffy and light … so, easily shovelable. Though that still didn’t make it any more fun!
I am not a winter gal. Amazon must not have gotten my order for Spring!
Cabin fever set in about 7pm last night and I’m feeling like the velociraptors got out of their paddocks so I dare NOT go outside any time soon! So, it’s gonna be a long haul!
So, here I am drinking my hot water with lemon, looking at the bookshelves that need assembling (they’ve been in a box on the living room floor for a week now!) as I kept hoping the furniture assembly elves would come in overnight or the dogs would surprise me … but alas, no such luck. I guess it’s up to me!
But, I have a problem. It seems I am in hibernation mode!
Again, thanks Google, this is how hibernation “works” (so to speak) …
During hibernation the body temperature drops dramatically, sometimes to a few degrees above freezing. The heart rate rate slows down to a few beats per minute to conserve energy, and the metabolism rate drops to a small fraction of its normal value.
This all seems to be the norm with ME! All except the breathing rate which slows down to less than one breath per minute. I’m breathing just fine, thank you.
But, damn … I think I go through normal life in a constant state of hibernation! Animals that hibernate eat extra food in the summer and early fall, converting it into fat to use during the long winter. Well, the eating part is spot on but no conversion going on here! No furnace on in this body to do that! No wonder the pounds stay on me.
Animals that hibernate (the groundhog for instance) usually do so in a log, hole in the ground, cozy den … or in my case in a living room filled with boxes of shelving units that needs assembling. Snakes and reptiles experience what is called “brumation” – a sort of dormancy which is akin to hibernation. During brumation the animal stops eating for weeks or months. Certainly NOT what is going on here! My skin may be dry and reptilian but that is where the similarity ends! I’m still eating!
The dogs are snoozing – Frankie is wrapped up in his lavender fleece coat looking like a little snuggly burrito … Mac is on the big dog bed, sawing logs. Zzzzzz.
In any case … it’s cold out there! If you are anywhere where it is (real) winter, maybe a little luxury nap and extra coziness is in order. Stay warm. Snuggle in. Hibernate.
And just remember … we only have two more weeks until that weather predicting hibernating groundhog tells us when Spring will be arriving! Woo hoo!