Warm in the Winter

It’s bloody freezing, but some know the best way to beat the cold.

We had a pretty heavy snow fall last week, but it was followed by a few days of unseasonably warm spring-like weather that took the edge off.

Only for winter to return with a vengeance as the mercury plummeted, the winds wound up and the sun struggled to break through the clouds.

Some of us are better at coping with the cold, with my pet Dinosaur being a case in point.

Dino is a rosy-faced lovebird, which is endemic to south-western Africa, so they’re genetically inclined to seek the warmth.

In the coldest parts of winter, usually mid-January to about late March, I use bar mitts on the handlebars of my bikes because experience has taught me that they’re the best option for keeping out the cold.

And with my judgement on that matter was based on seeing nearly all the bicycle couriers in central Tokyo using them in the winter.

Bar mitts have been one of my best bicycle purchases ever.

And they have taken on another role even when the bike is not being used.

Dino loves climbing into the mitts to stay warm when the bike is on its rack.

She hangs out in the mitts, staying snug and chewing on the bar tape, which she has eyed for her nest.

And sometimes she leaves a surprise that I most often discover when I head out the door into the icy cold and dark at 5 a.m.

Her poop!