COLD FACTS: Wind Chills, Frostbite and Hypothermia (which can be fatal)

Because I'm a meteorologist in my daytime job, I wanted to pass along some important information about the dangerous Arctic temperatures 2/3rds of the continental U.S. is experiencing so you and your pets will keep safe.

For at least the next week, the Eastern and Central U.S. will continue to see DANGEROUS cold, Arctic temperatures with wind chills near or Below Zero. 

TIPS  - Don’t stay out long. Frostbite occurs on exposed skin in 30 minutes under these temperatures. Hypothermia can be fatal. 

*Dress in Layers. *Do NOT Exercise outdoors. 

*Do NOT Leave pets outside or walk them- take pets out quickly, or use indoor pee pads. 

Here are the facts:

WHAT IS WIND CHILL - The windchill temperature is how cold people and animals feel when outside. Windchill is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin caused by wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it FEEL much colder. If the temperature is 0°F and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the windchill is -19°F. At this windchill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes.

Frostbite on fingers

FROSTBITE OCCURS – Within 30 minutes during these Arctic Outbreak temperatures the Eastern and Central U.S. is currently experiencing.

For example, A  temperature of 0°F and a wind speed of 15 mph creates a wind chill temperature of -19°F. Under these conditions frost bite can occur in just 30 minutes. ... Extremely cold temperature can also cause hypothermia, when the body's temperature dips below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

WHAT DOES FROSTBITE DO? You have frostbite when your body tissue freezes. The most susceptible parts of the body are fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose. Symptoms include a loss of feeling in the extremity and a white or pale appearance. Get medical attention immediately for frostbite. The area should be SLOWLY rewarmed using warm, not hot water.

WHAT DOES FROSTBITE LOOK LIKE? * This website has very disturbing pictures of what Frostbite looks like to feet and hands: http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2014/12/02/prevent-identify-treat-frostbite/

 

WHAT IS HYPOTHERMIA?

• Hypothermia occurs when body temperature falls below 95°F. Determine your temperature with a thermometer.
• Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and exhaustion.
• Get medical attention immediately. If you can't get help quickly, begin warming the body SLOWLY. Warm the body core first, NOT the extremities. Warming extremities first drives the cold blood to the heart and can cause the body temperature to drop further--which may lead to heart failure.
• If you are helping someone else with hypothermia, get the person into dry clothing and wrap in a warm blanket. Be sure to cover the head and neck.
• Do not give the person alcohol, drugs, coffee, or any HOT beverage or food. WARM broth and food is better.
• About 20% of cold related deaths occur in the home. Young children under the age of two and the elderly (those more than 65 years old), are most susceptible to hypothermia.
• Hypothermia can set in over a period of time. Keep the thermostat above 69°F, wear warm clothing, eat food for warmth, and drink plenty of water or fluids other than alcohol and caffeine to keep hydrated.
• Avoid alcohol because it will LOWER your body temperature.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/cold/faqs.shtml

A Spirited New Year's Message to You

find a simple pleasure a day

We all face challenges in life. That's what the physical world is all about. It's all how you decide to look at them and life itself. 
  You can pray daily, but get out there and make every day count. Enjoy something every day. Hoping that someone else can make your life good is a false hope. The only one who can change your life is YOU.
  If you need reinforcements that life is good, here is a suggestion: Keep a diary and write down one thing each day that you like, (even a nice sunrise, or a cup of hot tea or someone you talked with).
   We all suffer losses, but the people who passed are always watching over us and are around us. They want us to go on with our lives and be happy... they want us to not dwell in sadness and loss, but go out and taste life to it's fullest.
     As we age, we're going to experience physical illnesses, (it's been painful for me to walk on one foot since June), but don;'t let it rule your life! Find good in each day.  I have several friends who have had cancer diagnoses, and rather than sit and feel depressed and miserable, they found humor in the little things, they've shared their stories on-line (and one in a great book by Beth Kaufman). They give a person or pet a hug and even in pain, they find time to smile over something. Be that person.
    Our loved ones in spirit want US to be happy and find pleasure in the physical life. There are so many things to be thankful for, and so many simple pleasures in life. Look for them and understand that life is a gift.
  Happy New Year!
Rob

Spooky Word: "Preta" from Hindu Mythology

A preta depicted during Kali Puja.

Here's a word you likely have not heard before that means a "Wandering or disturbed ghost."  (Thanks, Wikipedia)...

WORD:  Preta   [prey-tuh] noun

DEFINITION: 1.     Hindu Mythology. a wandering or disturbed ghost.

Citations for preta

It hurtled down upon us, wanting to hurt us, as if we were horrid abominations it hungered to kill; as if the cloud truly was a hungry ghost, a preta.

James Alan Gardner, Radiant, 2004

The boy's expression was that of a preta, unburied at death.

Kim Stanley Robinson, The Years of Rice and Salt, 2002

Origin of preta

In Sanskrit e is a long vowel (it is also transliterated as ē). Hindi grammarians correctly analyzed e as a monophthong replacing an earlier diphthong ai; thus the Sanskrit adjective preta “gone before, deceased” is from an earlier form, praita, formed from the adverb and prefix pra- “forth” and -ita “gone.” Pra- is cognate with the Latin prepositions prō and prae (and prefixes pro- and prae-) and the Greek preposition pró (and prefix pro-), all of them meaning “before, in front of.” The Sanskrit participle ita- corresponds exactly in form with Latin itum, past participle of the verb īre “to go” and the Greek verbal adjective itós “passable,” all from the Proto-Indo-European root ei-, i- “to go.” Preta entered English in the early 19th century.

Spirits Give Signs During the Holidays (and every day)

Merry Christmas!   Holidays are a common time for spirits (of people and pets who passed) to communicate with the living.  There are many ways in which they do it from leading you to someone that looks like them, to making you "find" something that reminds you of them, or hearing their favorite song.

You can  learn many more ways in my books "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead," "Ghosts and Spirits," "Pets and the Afterlife," and "Pets and the Afterlife 2." All are available on Amazon.com in E-book and Paperback. 

Pets Reincarnate, but at a Certain Time!

If you've lost a pet know that they do come back, but they won't until after you and everyone they know has passed.
  WHY?  Because like humans, they wait on the other side for everyone they associated with the physical world to pass away. That way, they will be waiting for you when it's your time. And our pets wait with tails wagging in the light.

WILL THEY REINCARNATE WITH YOU? Yes. Your pet will reincarnate after you pass and come back when you do and be together with you in another life. Just like your human relatives and friends all come back when you do - they're always going to be connected to you as will your pets.
 
  NEW PET SHOWING SAME HABITS- One question I get often is "My new dog (or cat) is doing something that my dog (or cat) who passed used to do. Is it my pet reincarnated?
  No.  Your dog or cat is waiting for you on the other side. 
  THE EXPLANATION - Your pet who passed visits in spirit to "train" the new pet to show them a habit or two (and maybe not a good one) that they had in life.
  WHY? So you will know that the spirit of your dog or cat is still very much around!
To Read more, look for "Pets and the Afterlife" or "Pets and the Afterlife 2" by Rob Gutro
available on Amazon.com in Paperback and E-book

Video: Friday Night Ghost Frights #24: Dory's Paranormal Christmas Story (8 mins.)

My friend Mike Ricksecker, author, Ghostorian, paranormal investigator, and host of many You Tube paranormal programs including Down the Rabbit Hole produces "Friday Night Ghost Frights" and tells stories about ghosts and hauntings. This week's segment, episode#24: Dory's Paranormal Christmas Story (8 mns.). This one is both a heartbreaking and heartwarming paranormal Christmas story from Mike's YouTube friend, Dory.
CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/nUvHfcU4HmU

Learn How Spirits Give Signs During the Holidays (and every day)

Holidays are a common time for spirits to communicate with the living. There are many ways in which they do it from leading you to someone that looks like them, to making you "find" something that reminds you of them, or hearing their favorite song.  You can learn many more ways in my books "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead," "Ghosts and Spirits," "Pets and the Afterlife," and "Pets and the Afterlife 2." All are available on Amazon.com in E-book and Paperback.