Snow Adventure, part II

    Our snow adventure goes on!  

   When you have peaked, metal roofs, snow slides off with a great roar and crash.  I usually don't pay much attention to it.  The TV room has the only peaked, metal roof and there is nothing on one side of it that can be damaged...I thought.

   Yesterday I noticed from my chair at this PC a strange object sticking out of the snow

  so I got up and moved closer to the window to see what it was.  Turns out it's the top T of our woodstove chimney pipe!  The rest of the chimney pipe, the 'table' it rested on...and one of the 4x4's

that supported it, and part of the facial board from the roof are buried in the snow around it. 

Not much is left along the roof where it's suppose to be!  That's the end of the woodstove for this winter!  Good thing we just had our oil tank filled last week.  Hope it lasts till Spring!

More Snow

    At first the forecast called for 1-3" of new snow today but by this morning it had gone up to 4" and we got it!  Slowly all day it snowed.  Sometimes visibility went down to feet, other times it was blocks.  The roads weren't in great condition but they were passable and we had some errands to do so around 1pm we headed for town.  It took a firm push on the gas pedal to get thru the snow the plows had already put in the mouth of the driveway and Jeff swing a little wide barely missing the mailbox but once we were on pavement it wasn't too bad. Everyone seemed to be driving safely. And I was glad he was driving!!   

    We went to Herkimer and did what we had to before driving thru Mohawk to Ilion and the library (instead of going on Rte 5), and went back the same way.  After a stop at Tractor Supply in Herkimer (and Burger King for chicken nuggets for the dogs) we headed for home.  By then Smalls Bush Rd wasn't in very good condition at all, and the plow had filled in our driveway quite well so when Jeff signaled to turn left into our driveway he had to really slow down and guess where to find our driveway.  The white truck behind us didn't slow down enough for him so he hit the gas to go thru the snow in what he hoped was the mouth of the driveway.  Unfortunately, the car didn't make it clear into the driveway and slid into the snowbank.  Jeff tried rocking the car back and forth but it wasn't moving.  As he got out to see how far we slid into the field, a beat-up old red pickup truck with a plow stopped and the driver asked if we needed help.  Jeff thanked the guy and offered him $$ and hot coffee but he said no, he had to get his plow into the shop to have it fixed.  Neither one of us recognized the driver but he pulled the car out of the snow bank.  Jeff was surprised a stranger would do that.  It's nice to know there are still good people left in the world.  

   It gave us something to think about, too.  We were stuck at the end of our driveway within walking distance to our house but with a large bag of dog food and a bag of library books it would have been a very interesting walk to the house thru the snow.  And if the car had stayed there all night, it would have most likely been buried under the snow so when the garbage truck did managed to back into the driveway in the morning, it wouldn't have been snow that would have stopped it's progress but our car. 

   Oh, and the forecast is for a couple more inches tonight.   

              HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MAGGIE & HORST SCHANZ!!

2/14/1976

Back in Business

    Our Berkey Water Filter system finally arrived...right after one of our many

snowstorms and the delivery man  couldn't find his way to our door (the snow was too deep) so he left it at Wally's next door.  I called Wally and he brought the box up when he went to get the mail but he couldn't get to the door either, so he left it on top of the snowbank in front of the car.  Got it in the house and put together and about an hour later...we had clean, drinkable water on the counter across from the sink!  So much better than in a plastic jug that had to be refilled at Walmart!  But it's not a Berkey.  It's a Crystal Drop...just like a Berkey (but...I hope...cheaper).  The filters are expensive...about $25 each...and it takes 4-6.  We have 4 in it right now but Jeff thinks 6 would be better.  They'd last longer.  I haven't ordered them yet for a couple of reason:  6 x $25 is half as much as we paid for the whole thing in the first place and the place is closed until March 1st.  I can wait till Spring to order new filters.

  We got a new microwave the same week as the new water filter.  Electrical appliances don't have a long live in our house due to the sulfur water.  The iron sulfide in the air is attracted to the copper wires in just about everything and once it builds up, that's the end for that!  When we looked at micros at Walmart I saw the display for air fryers nearby and mentioned I'd like one.  When we went back to buy the micro we ended up with one that had an air fryer and a convection oven included.  Well, so far it wasn't a wise buy.  The air fryer and I aren't getting along.  I couldn't do hamburgs in it, or french fries or fish.  They don't cook all the way thru in the time they're suppose to...or else they're dried up.  I do like the micro...some of the time, and the convection oven will be nice to use in the summer.  I did a frozen pizza that came out ok--except I burnt it.  I'll get the hang of the damn thing...eventually!  But every time Jeff uses it, the clock has to be reset!!

   I'm about finished with my first sweater for the shop.  It's a girls' size 4 hoodie with 

a Henley neck.  I've

got to decide what color buttons to put it...they'll match the flowers that will be embordered (french  knots around the sheep.)  It will have a zipper in the back, too.  Then I'll do a cardigan, maybe in a size 2 so I don't run out of yarn!  It's a variation of my Black Sheep sweater (but no black sheep!).  I thought it was time for a change.  I haven't been too pleased with the yarn available at Walmart's this winter so I've been ordering yarn on line.  I've gotten some pink yarn that I can use to make a couple more of this variation and then it will be time to do some baseball-themed sweaters.  The Hall of Fame just announced that Induction, set for July 20, will be televised-only so that will lessen the crowds in town.  Hope it doesn't keep everybody home!

   We're set for another snowstorm tomorrow (3-7")afternoon & night.  The only appointment we have is for my monthly INR in the afternoon.  I hope the snow holds off so I can get to the library afterwards, too.  (Time to exchange books!!) I hate to say this but if we get half of that we'll have about 30" on the ground.  WOW!  Remember when we were kids...30" was a dream come true!  My cousin and I were talking last night and we both said we never remember complaining about there being too much snow, or it being too cold, or too slippery.  Now, we get an inch and everybody starts complaining!  And you don't see kids playing outside in the snow much anymore, either. oh, I just realized there hasn't been a single snowmobile around our house all winter! Now, that I don't miss!