Well the last two days have been spent in collecting wood, and bringing it up to the house. I knew a big storm was coming, and I was almost out of wood. Unfortunately they don’t make chain saws my size (bummer), so I have to bring what wood will fit in the gator up to the house and use my miter saw to cut it down to size. I did have a few big logs still that wouldn’t fit in the little wood stove, so I split them so I could angle them in. There’s this wonderful invention (remember I really am a city girl, country city girl?) called a log splitter. It’s a simple spike that you hit with a sledgehammer. Of course some of the logs need a little more convincing to split than others. The wood is very old and very dry so that helps a lot.
Everything else is mostly old wood that the previous owners left everywhere. We were going to burn them along with numerous dead trees. In fact the whole property is full of dead wood. If I could handle Rudy’s chain saw it would be great, but all I can do is gather what I can, haul, and cut it with my miter saw. I think I’m going to try to use Rudy’s circular saw. I really need to be able to use the truck though. The bed of the gator is too short to put the wood on, and I’m not strong enough to hold it on the gator.
I got the first load cut, split, and piled in the woodpile back of the house. The second load is lying in the garage. I got busy doing other things, and it didn’t get cut. Still it’s close enough so I can cut it if I run out of the first load before it gets nice again.
The storm actually started last night, and this morning I awoke to five degrees outside, and about 3 inches of snow on the ground. It had snowed all night, but since it is the very dry light snow it takes a long time to accumulate. The one thing about winter mornings is that they are so quiet. When it’s snowing, there’s an eerie silence that hangs in the air as though time has stood still. Then the dogs bark, and the spell is broken. Then it’s a race down to the barn. The horses have snow on their backs, and funny little drops frozen on their whiskers. They like the dogs are enjoying the crisp cold air. It’s only five degrees out and I have on double layers of clothes (including long johns), a scarf, hat, three pairs of gloves, and sunglasses. Yes sunglasses. When it’s snowing I use the gator. After the first year, I discovered that pelting snow in the eyes is not fun. Remember I am a desert rat, and I have to learn everything the hard way. I use the gator because it’s more maneuverable, and doesn’t slide as much as the truck. It’s also colder. I was pretty comfortable except for my toes. They froze.
There’s not much to do when it’s as cold as it was today so I spent the day working on our tax preparations. That means I spent the day separating receipts. Rudy was driving through the storm from Little Rock to Dallas Ft. Worth, and tomorrow he goes to Plainville weather permitting. So I wouldn’t worry so much, he gave me regular updates on the road conditions, and his whereabouts. It was a very stressful day for him. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. It’s not the snow that’s the big problem, but the ice. One person next to him decided to try to make the exit, touched his brakes, spun around, and barely missed hitting Rudy. That’s what’s so stressful. No matter how careful you are someone else is not.
I can hear the wind blowing now. It’s –four degrees, and I’m sure it will get colder if the wind keeps up. I have the fire going with a nice large log I split my self. I’m really proud of that. The cats are lying close to the fireplace, and the dogs are in their room. I feel sorry for them because it’s cold in there but they have beds, blankets, and fur. Bree & Pena don’t have much fur, but they will be ok curled up together. Taggit and Bear are in the garage. The door is closed except for a little space so they can go outside if they choose. It is enough to keep the wind from them. They have thick fur coats, and are curled up on their cushions. Bear is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever so this is nothing for him. He was bred for cold winter weather. Taggit is a Sheppard/Chow mix. He has a thick undercoat to keep him warm. I worry some about the birds because there is no heat in the rest of the house. So far they have been fine. It’s still in the fifties in the rest of the house, but when I go to bed I’ll turn off the one little space heater. Good thing they have feathers to fluff.
This is supposed to last a couple of more days, and then there will be a sharp rise in the temperature. Hopefully it won’t last too long, I have no desire to go hunting for water for the horses. Tomorrow I will brave the snow, and go into town. I have to get some hay, and a few groceries for myself. Maybe I will even venture to take the truck. It is four-wheel drive, but I’ve never driven it in the snow, and if I slide coming up the hill I could be in a lot of trouble. I guess that’s what keeps life interesting. Of course I knew the snow was coming, and I could have gone yesterday for hay, but I got busy doing other things, and I just didn’t think about it. Oh well such is life. It’s been a long day and it’s time for me to lay down my weary head. Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity.
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