Category: winter

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There’s a Giant Ice Labyrinth in Poland You’ll Want to Get Lost In

There’s an “ice labyrinth” in Poland that looks incredible.

BEHOLD!

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Snowlandia – Śnieżny labirynt 2020?

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Snowlandia is a sort of winter amusement park located in Zakopane, a region on the southern border of Poland.

While they offer other attractions like sledding, skiing, and a “mini zoo,” their main attraction is an enormous maze, constructed of snow and ice and containing all sorts of hidden treasures.

The maze was first constructed in 2015, and has to be rebuilt each year.

It takes a crew of 50 people about a month to put it together, and sudden temperature spikes can reverse a lot of work quickly.

The structure owes its design to Derek Pytlik and Artur Haber, and takes around 60,000 snow blocks to complete.

It’s a big draw for tourists, especially ones with kids.

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#myall❤

A post shared by ??????í?? ???á???á ? (@slavomirapekarova) on

So bundle up, and don’t get lost.

A lot of folks refer to it as the “biggest” or “largest” maze of its kind, but we can’t find anything official to back that up.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest snow maze was created in Manitoba, Canada, and the largest ice maze was in Buffalo, New York.

Your guess is as good as ours as to what the difference is between those categories…

Getting lost in the cold isn’t most peoples’ idea of a good time, but this is tempting.

Would you brave the great Ice Labyrinth?

Let us know in the comments.

The post There’s a Giant Ice Labyrinth in Poland You’ll Want to Get Lost In appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

There’s a Giant Ice Labyrinth in Poland You’ll Want to Get Lost In

There’s an “ice labyrinth” in Poland that looks incredible.

BEHOLD!

View this post on Instagram

Snowlandia – Śnieżny labirynt 2020?

A post shared by Snowlandia (@snowlandia_zakopane) on

Snowlandia is a sort of winter amusement park located in Zakopane, a region on the southern border of Poland.

While they offer other attractions like sledding, skiing, and a “mini zoo,” their main attraction is an enormous maze, constructed of snow and ice and containing all sorts of hidden treasures.

The maze was first constructed in 2015, and has to be rebuilt each year.

It takes a crew of 50 people about a month to put it together, and sudden temperature spikes can reverse a lot of work quickly.

The structure owes its design to Derek Pytlik and Artur Haber, and takes around 60,000 snow blocks to complete.

It’s a big draw for tourists, especially ones with kids.

View this post on Instagram

#myall❤

A post shared by ??????í?? ???á???á ? (@slavomirapekarova) on

So bundle up, and don’t get lost.

A lot of folks refer to it as the “biggest” or “largest” maze of its kind, but we can’t find anything official to back that up.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest snow maze was created in Manitoba, Canada, and the largest ice maze was in Buffalo, New York.

Your guess is as good as ours as to what the difference is between those categories…

Getting lost in the cold isn’t most peoples’ idea of a good time, but this is tempting.

Would you brave the great Ice Labyrinth?

Let us know in the comments.

The post There’s a Giant Ice Labyrinth in Poland You’ll Want to Get Lost In appeared first on UberFacts.

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‘Baby Snowdas’ Are Popping up and They Are Delightful

It’s winter, so you know that a lot of kids (and some adults) and playing out in the snow and trying to come up with awesome snowmen to impress their friends and neighbors.

Ladies and gentlemen…I present to you…the Baby Snowda!

You knew it had to happen at some point, right?

Here are some that might just inspire you to build your own in your front yard.

1. That is awesome.

2. A night shot.

3. Wearing a sweater and everything.

4. A lil’ green guy.

5. Holding a cup of coffee.

6. Towering above the plains.

7. Made some friends.

8. That is HUGE.

9. Keeping warm.

10. Go ahead and carry that one around with you.

11. I love it!

Those are awesome!

Have you made a Baby Snowda yet? Or any other kind of snow creature?

Share some photos with us in the comments!

The post ‘Baby Snowdas’ Are Popping up and They Are Delightful appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Is What Happens to Mosquitoes in the Winter

The greatest thing about winter is the lack of bugs. No pesky mosquitoes making you itch every time you go outside at night! It’s such a relief — but, like, what even happens to mosquitoes in winter? Do they fly south, like birds?

Not quite, according to Mental Floss.

Mosquitoes have difficulty surviving in any temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but their strategy depends on their sex. Males simply die off, though not directly due to the cold — instead, the winter just happens to coincide with the end of their life cycle, when they’ve already finished mating. They actually only live for about 10 days anyway.

Females, on the other hand, enter what is called diapause, a rested state similar to hibernation. They find a hollow log to burrow into, slow their metabolism, and hunker down until the cold is over. Females can stay in diapause for up to six months, thanks to the large reserves of energy that they hoard beforehand — they eat up to 10 times their normal body weight in blood to prepare for this stage.

Photo Credit: iStock

After warm weather returns, females leave their burrow and return to their normal metabolism. Then they must search for more food (blood) to nourish their eggs, and the whole dreadful cycle starts all over again.

Photo Credit: iStock

Unfortunately, there are some exceptions to all this. Some types of mosquitoes can actually breed underground in the winter and forego food, allowing them to stay alive all throughout the cold months. A species called Culex pipiens molestus invaded a poor Manhattan neighborhood in exactly this manner.

Bummer.

The post This Is What Happens to Mosquitoes in the Winter appeared first on UberFacts.

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Babies Nap Outside in Scandinavian Countries – Even When It’s Below Freezing

Some folks prefer to sleep with the thermostat turned down or with a fan blowing on them. Cooler temps promotes more restful sleeping.

But could you stand napping outside when it’s almost zero or even below zero degrees F? Would you make your child do it?

Let me ask you another question. Do you want your child removed from your custody and raised by other people? Because that’s what would happen – at least in the United States.

Midday nap
But in the cold-climate countries that make up Scandinavia, no one would bat an eye. In fact, infants’ that are only days old commonly put outside to catch a few z’s in sub-zero weather.

If that sounds cold, it’s because it is cold. You’re not nuts.

According to the BBC, it’s not even just parents putting the freeze on their kids. Preschools will routinely wheel the babies outside at nap time in the winter. In the Stockholm area, one school pushes the kiddies out until the age of three.

Head teacher Brittmarie Carlzon says,

When the temperature drops to -15C (5F) we always cover the prams with blankets … It’s not only the temperature that matters, it’s also how cold it feels. Some days it can be -15C but it actually feels like -20C (-4F) because of the wind.

To be clear, that’s a day the kids can nap inside, When it feels -4 F.

Photo Credit: Pxhere

So, what exactly is the deal?

Linda McGurk, author of There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather, wrote on Rain or Shine Mama about these outdoor naps. She explains that it’s one of those charming Scandinavian concepts that’s hard for Americans to understand at first and impossible for Americans to pronounce ever.

She calls it friluftsliv, which translates to “spending time outdoors to get a change of scenery and experience nature with no pressure to compete or achieve.” It’s a return to nature, learning about nature, an immersion in nature, while also cultivating love and respect for it.

Sticking your baby outside for a nap is part of friluftsliv. There’s no need for music players, wave machines or heartbeat noises because the sounds of nature are lulling and relaxing enough.

Scandinavian style nap: outside

There is also the belief that kids who spend a large amount of outdoors and away from the petri-dish that is preschool are less likely to get sick.

If you want to try this, make sure your baby is reclined in a stroller. They should wear a wool layer under a snow suit with attached mittens, plus a hat and bunting bag. You should be able to see their face and they shouldn’t be able to turn their head. Check your baby often for signs they are getting too cold. Watch for wild animals, nosy neighbors and child protective services.

Or, embrace your American-ness, put them in a onesie and let them sleep inside. That’s okay too.

The post Babies Nap Outside in Scandinavian Countries – Even When It’s Below Freezing appeared first on UberFacts.

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Watch This ‘Saturday Night Live’ Skit About the Hell That Is Dressing Your Kids During Winter

Do you have young kiddos? If so, you know what an absolute treat it can be getting them dressed during the cold winter months! Lots of screaming, crying, fighting, and tantrum-throwing to liven up your long days!

And if you don’t have kids, you remember these days from your childhood, don’t you? I sure do. It was a constant battle between my mom and myself, no one willing to give an inch and back down. Good times!

Well, Saturday Night Live recently nailed this phenomenon in a hilarious fake Macy’s commercial about the trials and tribulations of trying to dress little kids during the winter.

The commercial starts off typically enough as a Christmas ad with happy families having a grand time.

Photo Credit: NBC

…But then the whole thing starts to go downhill pretty quickly. The kids start to complain about various issues with their clothes. “It’s too hot!” “It itches!”

And the narrator tells us that “Tis the season for wrestling your wiggly little monster into thick winter clothes.”

Photo Credit: NBC

Of course, there are winter clothes that won’t fit over any kid’s head.

Photo Credit: NBC

And there are corduroys that will…well, you’ll see…

Photo Credit: NBC

What’s in store for all the sweet little girls out there? This!

Photo Credit: NBC

She’ll love those!

And you better believe those winter jackets are so huge that no kid will be able to fit into a car seat!

Photo Credit: NBC

Are you ready to see this video in its entirety? Here you go!

Is that spot-on, or what?

Ho Ho Ho and Happy Holidays!

Stay warm out there!

The post Watch This ‘Saturday Night Live’ Skit About the Hell That Is Dressing Your Kids During Winter appeared first on UberFacts.

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Man Creates Wintertime Shelters for Stray Cats out of Discarded Coolers

This is a great story.

Philip Rogich is a man we should all take a lesson from. The resident of Ogden, Utah, has taken it upon himself to look out for some of his town’s feral and stray critters this winter, which looks like it’s going to be a long and cold one.

Rogich takes discarded coolers that would have ended up in the trash and makes them into shelters for stray and feral kitties so they have a place to avoid the cold, harsh winter.

Posted by Batman of Ogden on Saturday, November 16, 2019

Rogich said, “Normally the cooler keeps things cold. We’re going to use it to keep animals warm. I actually have a 6-inch drill bit and then once you drill the hole you just use some pipe insulation to pad it. Everybody’s got a cooler in their garage that they’re not using.”

Rogich added that he uses straw inside the coolers because it dries relatively easily and that a regular cooler can hold up to three cats if they’re in the mood to snuggle.

Posted by Batman of Ogden on Saturday, November 16, 2019

Rogich said that he’s placed a few of the cat coolers around his town because “[Feral cats] just disappear, get overlooked. They get cold in the wintertime too. They’re living creatures…to me, living creatures, they deserve to have their basic needs met.”

Amen to that.

Productive Cat cooler day. Built 13 shelters all will be out by the end of the day. Took in 10 old coolers with 10…

Posted by Batman of Ogden on Thursday, November 14, 2019

Since the story of Rogich’s work gained popularity in the media, people have been donating old coolers and straw to him. If you want to get in touch with Rogich or donate supplies to him, you can reach out to him through his Facebook page.

Keep up the great work! Let’s do our best to help out all the cold and lonely animals that will be out on the streets this winter.

The post Man Creates Wintertime Shelters for Stray Cats out of Discarded Coolers appeared first on UberFacts.

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Cows in Russia Are Wearing Virtual Reality Headsets Showing ‘Summer Fields’ to Combat Their Winter Depression

In Russia, cows are getting a new tool to help fight the winter blues that a lot of us deal with. A dairy farm in that country is outfitting its cows with virtual reality headsets to help the animals tone down their anxiety and to fight their winter depression. The moooooove (see what I did there?) is also intended to boost milk production from the farm animals.

The headsets display green fields and pastures to the cows in order to make them feel more relaxed. The project is taking place at RusMoloko farm, outside of Moscow.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Moscow Region said that the virtual reality headsets have achieved “a decrease in anxiety and an increase in the overall emotional mood of the herd.”

The plan is to monitor the cows wearing the headsets to see if their milk production increases throughout the winter. The ministry said that “technology improvements should impact the industry as a whole.”

In addition to the look of green fields and pastures, the developers of the virtual reality headsets gave the design a predominantly red color scheme because studies have shown that cows see red better than other colors of the spectrum.

Is this the wave of the future in farming? Will the results show that the impact of these VR headsets is positive among the cattle and this technology become commonplace for animals?

Time will tell…

But I think I might need to get my hands on one of these for myself this winter.

The post Cows in Russia Are Wearing Virtual Reality Headsets Showing ‘Summer Fields’ to Combat Their Winter Depression appeared first on UberFacts.

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These Crocheted Hats for Your Pet Are Just What You Need This Winter

It’s shaping up to be a long, cold winter, and, in addition to keeping yourself warm, you gotta keep those pooches and kitties nice and toasty, too!

So consider picking up a crocheted hat for your pet this year.

Here are some of the best selections from Etsy. The links to the hats are in the photo credit if you want to purchase any of these beauties.

1. Reindeer games.

Photo Credit: Etsy

2. A notorious Viking.

Photo Credit: Etsy

3. This pug is a little confused.

Photo Credit: Etsy

4. This little piggy.

Photo Credit: Etsy

5. Very classy and elegant.

Photo Credit: Etsy

6. I love this one.

Photo Credit: Etsy

7. Long locks.

Photo Credit: Etsy

8. The turkey look.

Photo Credit: Etsy

9. Googly eyes.

Photo Credit: Etsy

10. The queen of outer space.

Photo Credit: Etsy

Check out more hats for your pets HERE. Stay warm this winter!

The post These Crocheted Hats for Your Pet Are Just What You Need This Winter appeared first on UberFacts.