Well, with winter and the holidays almost here, field service is about to pose a whole new set of challenges. First. it is going to get colder. In parts of the world, it is already getting there (in the southern hemisphere, summer is approaching and it will be getting hotter instead).
What now? For starters, it is going to be rainier. Soon, fogged up windows will be a problem. The ideal conditions for fogging up car windows is a temperature about 4 C/40 F. It should be raining so the windows will chill. Then, it should be humid inside. Given these conditions, the defogger is going to be seeing serious use before anyone can get going to the next territory or call. Plus, chilly rain makes for umbrella adventures as showers come up, causing the scramble for the car before the litter-ature gets soaking wet.
And, soon it will be followed with snow. This poses additional challenges. Slick roads have to be dealt with as snow and ice make things more slippery. It takes longer for the car to stop and steer when the roads are slick. And, if the snow gets deep enough, getting stuck is a problem (worse in rural areas where it is very hilly). In the city, finding parking spaces that are clear of snow and mud is more of a challenge.
Along with rain and/or snow, comes the cold. Cold feet are the bane of pioneers, especially in rural areas. Sisters additionally have to deal with biting cold on basically unprotected legs, as the hounders are not reasonable enough to allow them to use leg warmers and/or pants in cold weather. Writing numbers on the slip or taking notes on calls is more difficult if your fingers are cold or you need gloves on to protect them from freezing. It also makes it harder to start the car, especially if the battery is not in that great condition or it already is running poorly.
Now, the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas service is a fact of life. The hounders assume everyone is off those two days, so they are expected to be out in field circus. They meet at the Kingdumb Hell at 9:30 instead of 9:00, presumably as a "courtesy" to householders that are sleeping. Try telling householders that don't get up until the middle of the afternoon after spending the evening partying until 3 in the morning.
I once had the dubious "privilege" of going out on Thanksgiving. And it was no fun. At nearly every door, someone was cooking a turkey. We kept smelling turkey cooking, and the group got a craving for turkey! Of course, nothing was open that served turkey that day. And they couldn't go to the supermarket and get one, since they take most of the morning cooking. As nearly everyone was home that morning, they wanted everyone to show up for field circus. That is not my idea of fun, as no one was not at home that day.
Christmas service is even worse. True, not everyone will be cooking turkey that day (some will have roast beef or ham). But, at every house there will be a Christmas tree going. If there are children there, there will also be toys in use. Most of it has something to do with Christmas. Decorations are up in full force. Many places will have Christmas music going. There is also the "Merry Christmas" issue that comes up at just about every door that morning.
But, as the hounders make clear, everyone is home that day. It is the "golden opportunity" to catch everyone that is not at home any other time. So they expect everyone to show up and stay out all day. After all, they think no one has to work Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It matters not if people have to work the night after Christmas, since this is the "golden opportunity" that must not get away, and extreme sacrifice must be made even at expense of health to catch those people.
As if that weren't bad enough, the hounders always manage to find time to hound a fader or two within the congregation. They want everyone to be reactivated now, so they can make the mad dash to get those people while they are home "worshiping the sun". All this makes a rough time ahead for those who do not wish to participate in the misery any more.