My Daily Smile

Life is short - begin every day with a smile!

My best tips for staying warm outside in the bitter cold

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I grew up (and currently live) in the Appalachian Mountain region of southwestern Virginia, and while the winters here are relatively mild compared to those endured by our friends up north, it’s quite common for temps to drop well below freezing.

And on rare occasions they will remain blow freezing for several days.

Spending several winters in Georgia sort of spoiled me in regards to winter weather so it was a shock to the system when wintertime rolled around soon after I moved back to Virginia.  [Read more…]

Video: Winter Wonderland in the Lofoten Islands of Norway

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Living (and loving) Life

“What good is the warm of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
     –John Steinbeck

The Lofoten Islands of Norway boast some of the most beautiful scenery on planet Earth, and that incredible beauty kicks up yet another notch during the wintertime.

If you ever get the opportunity to pay the Lofotens a visit I urge you take it. That little corner of the world really is quite spectacular.

But if travel to Norway simply isn’t in the cards for you, the extended-length video below will take you there via the magic of video.  [Read more…]

Video: Life in Sweden – Midnight Sun & Polar Night

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Midnight Sun in Northern Sweden

Living (and loving) Life

Like their Scandinavian neighbors, the people of Sweden inhabit one of the most beautiful, and most challenging regions on our vast planet.

Short, bright summers and long, dark winters make Swedish life interesting for sure.

[Read more…]

How’s this for a winter vacation?

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Most folks love heading south to spend a little time in the sun during the winter, but there are actually many among us who prefer to head north instead.

New England is famous the world over for its breathtaking fall foliage, especially when the leaves are at full peak color.

But truth be told, there’s plenty of beauty up north even after the last of those gorgeous leaves have fallen to the ground.

[Read more…]

Did you know you can use your leaf blower as a snow blower?

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Well, fall is just around the corner and of course winter will soon follow.

If you live in an area that gets lots of snow during the winter you probably dread having to pull out the snow shovel every time the white stuff covers the ground. I know I sure do.

While perusing YouTube the other day I noticed there were several videos showing folks using leaf blowers to remove snow from their sidewalks and driveways.

And guess what? It appears to work pretty well if the conditions are right.

After watching several of these videos I came to the following conclusions: [Read more…]