How we fight Old Man Winter in the Southwest

I'll be the first to admit that fighting Old Man Winter in the Southwest takes less effort than confronting him in other locales.  A friend who lives near Quebec, Canada wrote to me several weeks ago describing their swimming pool as a Popsicle.  And I regularly check the daily high temperatures of a friend in London, England, which are hovering in the 40's (F). 

Here in the Desert Southwest, in El Paso, Texas, we have yet to experience a killing freeze.  The outside plants do look a little chilly, I must admit. They shiver through the cold nights (cold=in the 40's for us), but they soon perk up as the morning sun warms them.  Then the 70 degree daytime temperatures make them forget how cold they were the night before.

As we are warned in "The Game of Thrones," winter is coming. Every day I consider bringing the more delicate plants inside.  But I postpone that unpleasant task.  One of these nights I'm going to be forced to throw on a heavy coat and rescue them from certain death. Then the plants can huddle inside the house around windows, searching for light and heat until mid-March.

The colder nights in El Paso, however, do give us an excuse to spend more time outdoors.  After all, our summers are so hot that sitting outside is not a pleasant option.   In  autumn and most of winter, all that is needed is a little extra warmth. Free-standing chimeneas (chimneys) are readily available and inexpensive in the Southwest.  We bought this chimenea to place by the jacuzzi so that bathers can move quickly from the warm water to a warm chair.

Chimenea by spa

We were so proud of our first chimenea that we bought another to put in the main courtyard.  It occupies a sheltered spot where you can have a hot drink and listen to the soothing sounds of the fountain.

Chimenea in main courtyard

My husband, Wayne, and a good friend built this kiva fireplace many years ago in what we call the barbecue courtyard.  Cooks and diners alike can keep warm while waiting for the brisket to come out of the barbecue pit.

Kiva fireplace in barbecue courtyard

Or Wayne may prepare breakfast in his cook shack on an old-fashioned stove.

Cook shack stove

But my favorite heat source for frosty evenings is an old wood-burning stove that heats an outdoor room that we call the bunkhouse.  No cowboys bunk here, but many a game of cards or dominoes has gone long into the night, thanks to the gentle warmth from the stove.

Bunkhouse stove

You can see why autumn and winter are my favorite Southwest seasons.  The blazing sun of summer has passed on, and the wailing winds of spring are yet to come.  As long as we can give Mother Nature a little help with creating heat for chilly nights, we can look forward to cozy evenings spent in the outdoors.