Colder Than Antarctica... and Another Puzzle

I usually don't complain much about the winter weather in these parts.  After all, it isn't called the Great White North because it is covered in powdered sugar.

Snow is measured by the foot and it's often stupid cold.  It comes with the territory, literally and figuratively.

But this winter seems to be stupider than most.

A couple weeks ago, we endured a cold snap unlike any we've experienced in the past 30 years.  And we are about to plummet into the freezer again.  The mercury is starting to fall even as I write this, and by tonight it will be -23ºF.

Monday will be worse, with a "high" of -13ºF.   Monday night's low will be -29ºF.  The record is -34ºF, set in 1976.  Honestly, when it gets this cold, I'm all for setting a new record.  Let's go for it!

If this wasn't bad enough, these stupid cold temps will be accompanied with sustained 13 MPH winds, gusting to over 25 MPH.  A quick glance at the wind chill index (a chart that any proper Minnesotan must have at their disposal) reveals "real feel" temperatures approaching -65ºF.

The wind chill chart: a necessary evil in Minnesota.

So, just how cold is this, you ask?  The current temperature at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica is -27ºF, with a wind chill of -57ºF.

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica will be "warmer" than central Minnesota on Monday night.  I'm not kidding.

There are times when I'm asked why do I choose to live here?  I ask the same question to those who live in Florida or Louisiana, where a hurricane can obliterate one's home in any given year.  Or someone who chooses to live in California, where an earthquake can strike at anytime.  Or a person who resides in Kansas - tornado alley.

I could go on and on, but the point is:  this is home.  I have no other explanation.

Obviously when it gets this cold, indoor activities are required.  For me, this means another puzzle is in the works.  And this one is very special.... and a big challenge.

Several years ago, my good friend Jon gave me a customized topographic puzzle of Oak Valley Township and vicinity, which is where both of us grew up.  I finally have time in my life to give it a go.  It is a 400 piece puzzle and it is proving to be quite demanding.

You see, I have no "cheat sheet" or picture to guide me.  I have to go purely by my memory of the lay of the land, and my memory isn't always 100% reliable.  It is tough.

This customized puzzle features a house-shaped piece in the very center, which is the exact spot where I grew up.  This odd, house-shaped piece means the other pieces are all kinds of crazy shapes.  By the way, the real Horse Manure Park is located in the lower left part of this picture.

Wrightstown was easy to put together and I knew it would be located toward the bottom (south) of the puzzle.  It was one of the few reliable clues I had. 

This is the result of about six hours of work.  I've got a ways to go.  Good thing it is too cold outside to do anything else!

Once this puzzle is together (eventually it will be together...), I plan to glue it and frame it for display in my home.  Next is another customized puzzle that Jon gave me of my current home location.

There's no reason to be bored around here.