Are we there yet?
"The Day After Tomorrow," is a fictional, albeit science based, depiction of global warming's end days affects on earth. Starting to feel all too real right now. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_After_Tomorrow
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the temperatures here are nothing compared to that of the Mid-West or East. But it's still been pretty durn COLD here in the desert, with temps around 50 degrees.
I don't recall it being that cold this long last year. I mean, for the past three-four days, I've had to wear a sweater! Haven't had to do that last year. Also, I've even had the central heating on both up and downstairs at night (and day, too) since temps dropped to 30 degrees. Oh, and I've had to bring in my Red-ear Slider or she'd certainly freeze to death in her pond.
We get very cold in the Midwest, of course, but my relatives in Texas are going crazy! Just not normal, but maybe our new normal? 
Btw, what's a Red-ear Slider? Fish? 
People have been complaining how cold it is here in Fontana, which I didn't hear last year, either. Temps at night have dropped to 30 in the night for four days now. I hope to god it's not the new normal!
The Red-Ear Slider is a turtle, the kind that we used to see in the 70's on those pathetically tiny bowls with plastic palm trees (now made illegal since RES turtles, as they're also called, grow up to {males} 8" and {females} 12" as adults! Our Shelby is a female.
Here's a pic of a RES (not ours):
I do remember those little turtles. A lot of times the poor babies' shells were painted. I'm sure that was very toxic for them.
Although RES turtles are very hardy turtles and can survive in freezing temperatures, I just wanted to make sure she was safe and warm in a 20-gallon tank inside with a heater since RES turtles like their water to be between 70-80 degrees.
Yeah, I remember the painted ones. I don't think people knew how toxic that could be for these creatures. I've recently seen Hermit crabs' shells painted, too! I don't recall where I'd seen it (I believe it was in a mall), but I'm hoping that they, at least, used non-toxic paint.
I also have two Russian tortoises: Nika and Ivan. They look exactly like these two with the lighter one being Ivan (male) and the darker being Nika (female).
They're absolutely adorable and they're so easy to keep as pets. They're also very gentle and would never try to snap at you even if you put your finger right in front of them! Don't try that with a RES turtle, though! They will happily show you why they have a reputation of being ornery turtles.
This is what you see when they come out for a snap at you! I'm speaking out of experience and believe you me, it can be painful. lol
Those little walking legs are so adorable! How long do your turtles live?
You seem to be a true turtle aficionado.
Russians can live 50 to 80 years. So I'll have to pass them on to my children.
I don't know if I'm a turtle/tortoise aficionado, but I do like them and I want to give them the best life they can have in captivity. It's my duty that I lovingly accept and carry out. 
They deserve nothing less than my best.
Your little guys are so lucky to have a human like you in their lives! 
I feel for all of you who are acclimated to warmer temps but think about this, I haven't seen it above 0 degrees F since a week ago yesterday. And it's been roughly -20F or worse every night so far and it's been lightly snowing for the last day and a half.
When the sun comes out here is often a prism around it. It's not often that the prism is a full circle but last weekend I saw a double prism and each ring had a mirror image starting at the top so that each looked like a rainbowed Taurus glyph... never seen that before, ever. I've seen the glyph configuration a number of times, usually when it's around -15F, but this was way unusual. The prism is a visual effect caused by ambient moisture crystallizing (becoming ice)... it looks like glitter falling from a blue sky, it's magical looking.
Something's different alright and I'm thinking it's not exactly a good thing for our species. The movie is kind of drastic but we Americans seem to need that kind of description to take notice.
