Field and Garden: Cold weather, blowing soil, upcoming meetings

An arctic blast brought brutally cold and windy conditions to Foster County during the second week of January.

Temperatures remained below zero for five consecutive days, with a low of minus 23 degrees on January 14. Winds gusted at speeds up to 42 miles per hour, and wind chills fell to minus 53 degrees.

Temperatures climbed slowly back to normal by January 20 and then kept climbing.

Forecasters...