Oct 26, 2012 Tracks on MAX



We want to help, too!

My psyche was not ready for this much snow this early.  Until Thursday, all I really wanted to do was sleep.  Hibernate.  Four more inches fell on Wednesday and more is due today.  It stopped snowing early afternoon but the fog moved in.  And out.  And in again.  We had a total of 13-1/2" before the sun started shining yesterday.  We are socked in with fog this morning and it just started snowing a few minutes ago.  After almost a month of temperatures 8-12 degrees above average, now we are 10-15 degrees below average.  JB thinks we need a solar seat warmer for the outhouse.

Wednesday was another inside day, so I re-typed the food and supply list.  Needs to be done once or twice a year.  Just puttered around the house, once again only going out to visit the outhouse and bring in firewood.

Thursday was sunny, but became overcast by sundown.  We spent three hours total putting the tracks on MAX.  That includes getting everything out.  Taking off the tires (all six of them) & deflating them.  Putting the extenders on the axles.  Putting the tires back on.  Getting the tracks on - always a struggle.  Then inflating the tires.  Very labor intensive.  The dogs wanted to help get it done so we could all go back inside (see photo above).  Feels so good to get it over with each year.

I look at my list of projects we were to do this year and am disappointed that there are some left undone.  I think these are the same ones left from the year before.  The porch pillars remain unpainted.  Only the west end of the under the eaves has been caulked, leaving three sides undone.  Only the west end of the shop has been caulked where the deck meets the metal sides, leaving two sides undone.  And the cord to our wireless antenna still comes through at the top of the deck door.  No hole drilled for it.  So I will put them on our list again for next summer.

However, we did get two major projects completed.  We had our yard re-sculpted for drainage, and the results are very pleasing to the eye.  It also seems to have resolved the problem.  The crawl space under the house is drying out and even now with more than a foot of early snow sitting on the ground, the melt is running under it, down our "stream bed" that cuts throught the front yard.  And we finished the great room walls, which is also very pleasing to the eye.  What a difference that makes in keeping the house warm.  Wednesday night we both slept through til 7:00 a.m. and it was still 62 inside.  This with our bedroom window open and the temperature in the low 20's outside.  Once the fire was lit it didn't take long at all to warm up. 

Okay, so I'm not all the disappointed.  The only big project we have for next year is an extension on to the north side of the shop in which we can work on MAX.  As we have planned it, with RJ's help, it should be fairly easy to construct.  Especially when compared to other projects we've tackled.  We also have to finish the west and south walls of the loft.  Will probably do them in wallboard.  The worst part will be moving everything away from them.

Thought for the day:  The best of all government is that which teaches us to govern ourselves.  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe