Frozen Water Filter Jug

It's enchanting to see ice forming in the winter at base camp. It's nice reminder that I get to experience both extremes of temperature which balance each other out in terms of the pathogen load in the ecosystem. With a diverse range of temperatures, there are trade-offs in terms of what can be grown year-round, but probably more importantly, with freezing temperatures, some of the worst pest reproduction cycles get broken. This gives a crucial break in the pressure on the garden. With unlimited growth potential in climates without freezing temperatures, there is always potential for excess parasitism and mass die-offs of garden plants, trees, etc.

I've been able to bundle up enough at night to be comfortable in freeze temperatures when I'm not working the land, and when I am working the land, they cold temperatures help to keep me motivated to work to keep warm, and I often find that within a few minutes of working, I'm taking off many layers to avoid perspiration. So it all works out, I've become and big fan of cold temperatures now more than ever as I know they're much easier to adapt to than the relentless desert summer heat.