Snow Season

That mantle clock I talked about in the last post is driving me crazy. I had it running right on time. I turned it around and screwed the back plate into place.

Since then, I can't keep it running. The clock is laughing at me. I'll work on it.

Here's a good indication of the amount of snow that has fallen this season. That pile of snow is 14 inches high. And it's all come within the last three weeks.

Icicle Clean Up

Susan's sister gave us this clock when we got married. It stopped working about three or four years ago. So I took to the clock repair guy and got it fixed for Valentines Day.

Since then, I have been fine tuning it to get it running accurately. I think I'm finally there. I'll know for sure in a couple of days but I think it's running pretty solid right now.

I'm tidying up some after effects of winter weather. We have some massive icicles hanging off the house.

This one is on the front porch.

This monster mutha is on the side of the house hanging off the Dining Room Bay Window. I was really worried about knocking it off and the whole thing coming down on top of me.

Here is one directly above the bay window that gives me big trouble. If I let it get away, it back flows into the roof and damages the dining room ceiling.

I managed to get them down without impaling myself thus averting several tragedies.

I'm also keeping the birds and the squirrels properly nourished.

Snow Blow Doctor

Since Thursday when my neighbor snow blowed my S.R.A., it has snowed a couple more inches. It has been lightly snowing all morning but no major accumulations so far. 

I broke out the snow blower and got to work on my driveway and sidewalks, I ignored the rest of the neighborhood that I usually do because of mechanical difficulties and the fact that the neighbors did their sidewalks themselves.

As in the recent past, the snow blower ran good for about ten minutes, allowing me to get the driveway cleaned off. Then it started running rough and I had to choke the hell out of it to limp it through the rest of the way. I managed to clean up my area and then set to the task of loading the snow blower into the car...by myself.

I use a long sturdy plank and slowly slide/drag it into the back of my SUV. My repair guy, Richard is just at the top of the hill off Monroe. I explained the problem and he said that doesn't make any sense. He helped me unload it and said he would have it by Tuesday or Wednesday. 

Any snowfall in the meantime is going to have to be taken on with shovel and muscle. I have a shovel. Fortunately, the forecast calls for little snow but colder temperatures.

Another Se7en and Fabulous Neighbors

I got up this morning to seven more inches of snow. I shoveled the front walk and steps and a path out to the garage. Then I had to leave for work. 

All day I dreaded coming home because I knew I had a lot of snow to move and a snow blower on the fritz.

To my shock, pleasure and joy, I got home to a snow free driveway and sidewalk. I called my neighbor Lou and thanked him for the blow job.

That was so nice to see. I really have to do something nice for him.

I also learned that he helped Susan get unstuck this morning. Her car is supposed to be all wheel drive but it didn't seem to help her this morning.

As I sit here typing, I see that the snow is starting to fall again. I haven't heard the forecast for how much we are expecting but I know I'm not exactly prepared for another major snow fall.

Thank God for my wonderful neighbors!

Another Day, Another Se7en Inches

It's my day off but there was no sleeping in for me. I had to get up and face the consequences of not snow blowing last night.

It was a good thing I didn't because it just would have been wasted effort. I went out this morning to bright blue skies and seven inches of snow.

I'm going to have to take the snow blower in for service. It ran but not that great. I had it on full choke for most of the time. It runs great for the first five or ten minutes and then begins to run like crap.

In the meantime, I have to take Oscar to the Vet for his annual check up. He is almost 19 and starting to act like it.

10:24AM: Oscar was down three pounds, from 11 to 8 and had a heart murmer, so we put him down. 

Just kidding! I left him at the Vet for the day though. They wanted to get a blood test and a urine sample and possibly an x-ray so I'm going back at 4:30.

I'm going to go back outside and finish up my snow blowing. Hopefully the machine will run good enough for a few minutes for me to finish up.

3:16PM: My first order of business after writing that last paragraph was to take a nap. After that refreshing event, I decided I had to get outside and get some stuff done.

I shoveled the deck and got most of the snow off. It still looks like a mess out there, but with less snow.

Then I fired up the snow blower and tried to finish my rounds. I got mostly finished but not quite. My big concern is that there is more snow coming...tonight. In fact, it has started, although not very intense.

My last job was to get an extension cord up to the roof where I have a snow melt cord in the valley of the roof.

You can see the cord hanging there, right next to that giant icicle. I had to break out the ladder and get up there to attach the extension cord. Hopefully, the melt cord will eliminate the icicle.

This summer, I'm going to have to make a project of getting that melt cord wired into the house. There is going to come a time when this tired old man won't be able to get up there.

Anyway, everything is ready for the next round of snow, which they say will be tonight. Oh Joy!

Multi-Task Guy

12:00 Noon: We came out of church this morning to discover we are not out of the snow zone yet.

It is currently coming down at a pretty good pace.  And to quote an old Native American saying: "Big Snow, Little Snow - Little Snow, Big Snow".

We have little snow (small snow flakes) coming down right now so I'm looking for big snow (A lot on the ground). I read in the paper that they are forecasting three more inches.

This is how it looks out there. I'm not sure this picture really shows the snow very well. Trust me when I tell you that it is indeed snowing.

My project for the day (while Susan is working a kids show at the arena, PJMasks Live) is to defrost the freezer downstairs. I'm about to go out and collect a couple of ice chests from the Carriage House. I shall then fill them with the bounty of the freezer. Then I shall unplug the freezer and let it melt.

I'll be taking advantage of the chilly temperatures to keep the frozen stuff frozen. Yup, I'm going to leave the ice chests out in the yard.

2:40PM: I'm planning on heading out to snow blow in about 20 minutes. I have been multi-tasking like crazy. I am defrosting the freezer.

I was able to get everything into two coolers.  I had no idea how much food we have. Let an emergency happen. We're going to be okay. 

I have a heater in front of the freezer right now so I'm hoping that will speed the defrostion. I've been chipping away at some of the larger ice flows but I also need to get a pan on the bottom to keep the water contained as the ice melts. 

I was going to dump a nearly full keg of home brew that has been sitting under pressure but outside the fridge for a couple of months. I tried it and it's not bad. I put it back under pressure and back in the fridge.

I also have been vacuuming the basement stairs. That's something that never gets done. 

On top of all this, I've got "The Roy Rogers Show" on FETV. Roy was a Saturday morning favorite of mine even though the original run of the show was eight to ten years earlier in 1954.

The show is ridiculous to the point of hilarity. Even more than Batman. The acting is horrible, the plot juvenile, and the premise is totally out of sync with history. Roy and Dale live in Mineral City sometime around 1950 but they act as if they lived in an old western town. They live on a ranch but they talk on the phone. They carry guns on their belts and they ride horses everywhere they go. Except for Roy's "Comic Sidekick" Pat Brady. He drives a jeep. Her name is Nellie Bell. She comes to him when he calls her. She also belches smoke and steam whenever Roy or Dale make a snide remark about her.

3:50 PM: I went out to blow the snow but it started coming down again. I did a little light n' tight touch up shoveling. That's where you shovel the areas most critical. Back door to garage, front steps and walk, that sort of thing. I guess I'll try to blow again after returning from the Hub. I want to get at this snowfall as soon as I can because it sounds like there is another coming tonight. 

I just looked out and the snow coming down is really really small. We might get buried!

Winter Wonder Difficulties

As one may recall from the previous post, we are deep into snow season. 

The snowfall took a break yesterday afternoon but took up where it left off overnight. 

Here is a good indication of total snowfall over the last 30 hours. I am guessing there is about 8 inches piled on that chair seat. I'll try to get out there and get a measurement but for now, I am spent! Snow blowing is taking its toll on me.

I got up at 9 and preceded to get to work on my S.R.A. (Snow Removal Area). Immediately I had a problem because I had to do some snow blower maintenance. I broke a shear pin yesterday and that required a trip to the General Store. I got there only to realize I did not bring my wallet.

So I slipped and slid my way back home to collect my money and returned to the General Store. I made note of their mocking attitude toward me. As I walked in, they had brand new snow blowers on display with a sign that touted, "No Shear Pin Needed".

Kiss my Ass!

I purchased two because you always want a backup to avoid situations such as I was facing now.

Unfortunately, I bought the wrong size. It wasn't like they were unusable but I will have to return and buy the right size at a later time that is not now.

The snow blower ran great today except for right at the end of my job when it started to sputter and surge. I turned the choke way up and that worked through the problem. Still, I need to have it looked at.

Right now the sun turning the neighborhood into a Winter Wonder Place of snow and wonder.

Take a look for yourself.

I will definitely be returning to the General Store to buy more Shear Pins. I broke the other one while out on my rounds. However, as previously stated, I am spent. Time to decompose and read the paper.

February Snow Day

When I got up at 5 this morning, it was not snowing. But by the time I stepped out of the shower, it was coming down. I had a light dusting of snow on the car when I left for work. It has kept snowing all day. It is now just after 1:00 and the snow continues. I only worked half a day today so I am home early to attend to snow matters.

I just measured 3 inches of very light fluffy snow. I'm trying to decide when to get out there and start snow blowing. 

I think I will run to the store and then evaluate the situation when I return.

Later: It is now approaching 4:00 and the snow blowing is complete. It appears the snow has stopped as well but not before I completed the blowing.

I'm still concerned about my snow blower performance. It died on me three times and without the assist of the electric start (which requires an extension cord) it is very difficult to start by hand. 

I broke a shear pin on one of the augers so I'm going to have to fix that issue. But the more major concern is the way the motor is running. It starts out okay but starts surging and dying after a while. When I get it restarted, it seems to run okay for a bit but them resumes the surges.

In any event, I have fulfilled my duty to the neighborhood for now and am waiting for the next storm to come.