January 25, 2012



Polka-dot snow - a good thing!



Poor Jesse needs snow shoes, too!
















Black dots on the snow mean that the creosote gunk in the chimney is peeling off and floating out instead of building up.  That's a good thing.  Especially since I did not get the chimney cleaned out last year.  I do have the brush and necessary poles to do it, so hopefully I can get it done late Spring or early Summer.  That "list of things to do" certainly is getting longer. . .

We got the snow shoes out of the loft on Sunday, and what a difference they make getting around in the deep snow.  Doesn't take too long to remember how to walk in them, and they really give the glutes a good work out.  The poor dogs really need some, too, as the photo above proves.  Doesn't seem to stop them from getting around though, or even slow them down very much.  Jesse has really been out barking a lot, especially down the driveway and up the east slope.  We are going to move the game cam down to the end of the driveway and program it back to still photos.  There are always a lot of tracks down there, including the cougar's, but it's quite a hike back up when we want to get the card.

JB saw a buck and three does down the south side of our south ridge on Monday when he and the dogs went for their morning walk to check the solar panels.  The dogs saw them also, but weren't about to go very far down that steep slope.

It took us 2-1/2 hours on Monday to get everything out to MAX that we needed in order to fix the axle, including the small garden wagon with the little generator, and then actually get the axle out.  The first thing we had to do is suck the air out of the two end tires and for that we needed the generator and vacuum cleaner.  Then off came the tires and track.  The axle wasn't broken, but rather bent right in the middle of the bearing and flange assembly.  So that had to be replaced also and fortunately we had ordered an extra one along with the axle last year.  We got everything taken off and out, then went for our afternoon walk and called it a day.  Tuesday we were able to install the new axle and bearing/flange assembly before it started sleeting.  Today is supposed to be nice like Monday was, so we plan to get MAX all put back together.  The temperature has cooperated with us, being in the high 20's on Monday and high teens on Tuesday.

A strong wind started up in the evening and has continued into daylight, taking with it, I can see now, a very large branch off the tree by the deck.  One I was going to saw off anyway as it was obstructing our view.  The wind also brought the temperature up from 18 to 30, so it seems we may have a bit of a Chinook.  Don't like that idea after having just received so much snow.  We are up to almost two feet.  And, unless the wind dies down, we won't get much work done on MAX as planned.  (I can almost hear God's laughter in the wind. . .)

I had a long, rambling paragraph here in which I failed miserably to make my point and now am not even sure what that point was.  Something about needing the solitude of nature as opposed to the crush of humanity.  How there is mental and emotional room Up Here along with the physical room to grow and become more of the person I was meant to be.  How gathering, cutting and stacking firewood gives me a sense of taking charge of my life, rather than relying on someone else for what I need. And something about not being a very good judge of character; how I can easily stand up in front of a crowd to talk but am not that great one to one with strangers.  Yada, yada, yada. . .  Blah, blah, blah. . .  

Enough blathering.  Here's my thought for the day, or rather someone else's that I really like:   I hope there is a next world, because I'll definitely need another life to understand this one.   Ashleigh Brilliant