Unusually cold here, southerrn Sweden, for the time of the year, and still getting colder, minus 21 degrees celsius that’s minus 6 farenheit. A cracking time for timber flutes 
So it’s pieces of damp sponge and plastic bag time again - so far so good
In weather like this I always wonder if the sponge might freeze 
I know you won’t, Steam, but for others … don’t forget to let the flute warm up a bit before blowing into it. I let mine sit on my lap while I play my whistle for a set or two.
So far, so good. It’s just too bad I had to learn that the hard way and would rather no one else has to!
That is a proper good hard freeze. If you had one of those metal Böhm things your lip would have stuck to it.
Sorry to hear that, Steamie. Here in Tucson, AZ, it’s about 21º also.
But on the other end of the thermometer…
Here in Rome is about 16°C… above 0…
Cold here too.
Spanish Point this afternoon:
That is cold! And so very cool, too. 
Thanks as always for the lovely photos! Especially interesting when you get that kind of activity near the sea.
Reminds me of the gutters of my house. The lowest point I saw on my thermometer was 2F last week. Finally got above freezing Monday – oi! I was breaking the ice on the stock tanks and the crowbar was stuck to my glove. As I went for a final swing one morning, the crowbar sailed out of my hand taking the glove with it, of course. Not totally unusual, but still mildly exciting before one’s second cup of tea.
Hmm… It was 80 degrees here yesterday. 60 this morning with the high forcast to be 61. Currently 55, so I guess that we made it around 7:30 this morning.
We don’t usually see temps like that around here until January or February. What we did have is three huge wind/rain storms over the past three Mondays. The first one took down the 80-foot willow tree in my backyard. If anyone thinks willow would make a good wood for flutes, I have about 8 tons I can spare. Just come and haul it away.
Cold - and dry - in England too. These last couple of weeks are the first time since I have been a flute owner that the humidity has regularly been below 30%. Usually I can just ignore all the discussions about damp sponges etc. Yes, I know its not exactly a Arizona, but normally we don’t have to think much about it here.
Yep, my fingers go numb when I first pick up my “tin typewriter”. It has been around 12F here lately, much warmer inside of course though. Our winter hasn’t even “started” yet - that is, it hasn’t dropped below 0F yet. I’m not looking forward to the 30below days.
It looks like we’re in for a hell of a white christmas this year. And I’m feeling it to. The pipes have started to leak out of every possible end, and some I didn’t even think were possible!
We have lots of ice build up like that right along the 4 lane highways where they cut through the mountains to build straight wide highways in West Virginia. In the spring, they’re really exciting, the thaw causes all the water in the mountains to let loose and these become waterfalls. You don’t even have to get out of your car or even slow down to appreciate the beauty.
argh, it’s scorching here, pass me that popsicle…
-20C at night here in Strathspey so pretty similar to Sweden by the sound of it
but it warms up to -8C on sunnier days
Uilleann pipes reeds are pants
The flute needs a bit of watering
The ski-ing is great though
I know what you mean steampacket, I’m over for my first Christmas in Blekinge. It hasn’t got above -7 since I arrived. The weather was almost as cold when left Scotland. Took two attempts to fly out of Aberdeen.
D
I find that my wooden flutes are playing nicely but my rosewood flute keeps falling apart because the wood has shrunk. The bottom ring keeps falling off. In summer when I play it alot the wood expands and sometimes I find that I can’t disassemble it.
Here’s my band the other day during the terrible east coast snow storm… safe here in Hawaii. Why don’t you all come visit? 80 degrees and and 75% humidity is good for your flutes. Consider the trip necessary maintenance.
Clark
Were you playin for Barry O’Bama?
Yeah, I was in Hawaii a little over a week ago and got 6 inches of rain in one day, followed by a couple of inches the next. Blah.
Back to Sweden though, are you south of Gotenburg? If so that is very cold for that part of the country. All the best and careful with the wood instruments.
Lewis