FROSTY FRIDAY
Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:36 amGOOD MORNING TO ALL!
We had frost on the ground earlier, and it's still only 34 out there....good thing I brought my flowers in from the front deck last night before bed. And Molly and I have 2 mice to release this morning, after I get warmed up with hot coffee! We stayed warm in the trailer under my -50F sleeping bag last night---I didn't know it was so cold until I had to get out of it! I could have turned the furnace on out there and it would have been toasty, but I decided to come in here to the house and try out the Monitor heater to make sure it's still functional. It seems to be running fine, and the heat sure does feel GOOD! My kerosene tank is full to the brim, and my wood rack in here is full as I have been bringing in a log each time I think of it while going past the wood piles. Soon I will have to cover them for the winter before the snow piles up on them. (Note to self---buy some tarps.)
I guess I will paint some brown today as it's supposed to begin raining later today and continue most of the weekend. That will mean shopping time for me. and indoor housecleaning. ACK!
And first of all, when the weather gets too nasty to paint, I guess I will need to tackle the yearly chimney cleaning project. That means unscrewing the aluminum panels that block off the chimney opening here at the hearth, taking out the stove pipe and replacing the sections that need replacing, vacuuming out the horrible cresosote on the smoke ledge, lying on my back in the hearth area with ski goggles and a face mask on while running the steel brush with extensions up and down the chimney. Then vacuuming it all up from the hearth. See why I so love this job? And then, the best of all....fitting the stove pipe back around the smoke ledge, holding it together (probably have to drill holes and put a screw (or many) in there to hold it together while manoevering it, moving the heavy woodstove back into place, fitting the aluminum shields back in place and screwing those in. Not an easy job for just one person, as you have to hold the floppy sections and screw at the same time. All in all, this is a good half day's work, or more, depending on if I need to go to town for new pipe or not. All should be made easier this year by the addition of my new cordless Ryobi drill/screwdriver! Usually I have had to hand screw all those things! Something to look forward to, I suppose!
I hope you all will have a decent day, wherever you may be and whatever you may be doing. Coffee is hot and Hazlenut and strong and black with various kinds of creamers to make it palatable. I am sure there are snacks stashed somewhere around here in Barb's cabinets! Stop in a while and let us know what's up in your world. I will read some posts and my email and then warm up the kicker for mouse-release purposes. Happy Friday to you all.
We had frost on the ground earlier, and it's still only 34 out there....good thing I brought my flowers in from the front deck last night before bed. And Molly and I have 2 mice to release this morning, after I get warmed up with hot coffee! We stayed warm in the trailer under my -50F sleeping bag last night---I didn't know it was so cold until I had to get out of it! I could have turned the furnace on out there and it would have been toasty, but I decided to come in here to the house and try out the Monitor heater to make sure it's still functional. It seems to be running fine, and the heat sure does feel GOOD! My kerosene tank is full to the brim, and my wood rack in here is full as I have been bringing in a log each time I think of it while going past the wood piles. Soon I will have to cover them for the winter before the snow piles up on them. (Note to self---buy some tarps.)
I guess I will paint some brown today as it's supposed to begin raining later today and continue most of the weekend. That will mean shopping time for me. and indoor housecleaning. ACK!
And first of all, when the weather gets too nasty to paint, I guess I will need to tackle the yearly chimney cleaning project. That means unscrewing the aluminum panels that block off the chimney opening here at the hearth, taking out the stove pipe and replacing the sections that need replacing, vacuuming out the horrible cresosote on the smoke ledge, lying on my back in the hearth area with ski goggles and a face mask on while running the steel brush with extensions up and down the chimney. Then vacuuming it all up from the hearth. See why I so love this job? And then, the best of all....fitting the stove pipe back around the smoke ledge, holding it together (probably have to drill holes and put a screw (or many) in there to hold it together while manoevering it, moving the heavy woodstove back into place, fitting the aluminum shields back in place and screwing those in. Not an easy job for just one person, as you have to hold the floppy sections and screw at the same time. All in all, this is a good half day's work, or more, depending on if I need to go to town for new pipe or not. All should be made easier this year by the addition of my new cordless Ryobi drill/screwdriver! Usually I have had to hand screw all those things! Something to look forward to, I suppose!
I hope you all will have a decent day, wherever you may be and whatever you may be doing. Coffee is hot and Hazlenut and strong and black with various kinds of creamers to make it palatable. I am sure there are snacks stashed somewhere around here in Barb's cabinets! Stop in a while and let us know what's up in your world. I will read some posts and my email and then warm up the kicker for mouse-release purposes. Happy Friday to you all.
Hence, one of the reasons we are full-timers..... 