Week of Dec. 21 to Dec. 27

Monday, December 21, 2009
It is partly sunny with the temperature remaining just above freezing and no wind. During the night, it snowed lightly, just covering the deck and other things with a powder. NWS is predicting a 50% chance of snow tonight with 80% chance tomorrow.
I had planned on going to town today, but needed to finish a few things first, like cleaning and repacking all of my emergency kit items that I carry in the Argo, and attaching boxes to my platform to hold the groceries.
By afternoon, I finished fixing the inside of the Argo so I have some secure storage for groceries and loose items. Due to the time of the day, I decided that I would attempt to make my trip to town tomorrow. During the course of going over the Argo for the trip, I discovered that two of the eight tires were flat and I was unable to get them to keep air, so will warm a can of Fix-A-Flat in the cabin over night and try to seal them tomorrow. The Argo is still drivable, but it could cause problems if the tires slip inside the snow tracks. One tire is in the very front on the right side, and the other is in the very back on the left side. Those are key drive positions, and I need them fixed.
After loading one empty propane tank and three empty 5-gallon gas cans in the Argo, I should now be ready to go first thing tomorrow.
Playtime with Zack, stirring the fire, feeding everyone and showering took me until after dark; so I sat down to relax before fixing myself some dinner.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
It is overcast this morning and NWS is predicting snow, but so far it hasn’t materialized. It is close to 32 degrees and I even see some signs of the sun trying to shine through the clouds.
Before I could finish my coffee, the power went out, so I had to trudge outside and start the generator. Just as I got back inside and took off my coat and gloves, it quit. Back out I go to add oil, as I am sure that is the problem. I keep the oil in the cabin now to prevent it from being so thick from the cold temperatures.
It started right up and continued to run; so back to the cabin I go. I remove my garments and look at the power panel only to discover that the inverter isn’t reading the generator, so back out I go. The green light is on, as well as the Christmas tree lights, which are plugged directly into the generator, so I suspect the plug and cord as being the problem. I disconnect and check the wire nuts on the connection going to the inverter and found that the white wire was loose. Convinced that cured the problem, I start it back up and return to the house. I check the panel and it is charging, so I remove my outerwear and sit down to finish my coffee.
I have an outside light connected to the same wires as the cord to the wires going to the inverter, this way I can see at a glance if the generator is online. I check it frequently from my chair in the sunroom and when it abruptly went out, I had to go back out and check the generator. This time it was the connection at the plug into the generator, and I had to disassemble and reconnect the wires and then it worked without further problems. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. Such is the plight of living off the grid and being self reliant for power.
Before noon, Zack had his play time and we were ready to go, so I pulled the Argo in front of the cabin, leaving it running to warm up the insides, and tried the Fix-A-Flat to seal and air up the two flat tires. I discovered that the rear left one has a split valve stem and there is nothing I can do about that without removing the track and then the wheel. I don’t have the equipment to disassemble a tire from the rim, and of course don’t have a replacement valve stem, so I decided to continue my trip and hope for the best. The right front tire accepted the fluid but never completely filled with air. The can says that after putting the foam in that the tire should be driven 4 to 8 miles to allow the foam to spread and increase the air pressure, so hoping for the best, off we went.
We had no trouble making it over the Divide and to the Jeep, but due to about 4” of frozen solid snow on the car, it took another 25 minutes. I had to break through the icy crust and then shovel the ice and snow off. Once that was done, I had to scrape each window so I would be able to see where I was going. Luckily, the time it took me to get the snow and ice off, the car defroster had helped with the ice removal on the windows.
It was now 1:45 and because Mary and Guy weren’t home, we headed straight for town. It seems like I can never get an early enough start so that I have time to leisurely run my errands and get home before dark, and today wasn’t going to be any different. Living like I do, I didn’t even think about the crowds out shopping, so the traffic and stores were all packed.
I stopped at the Humane Society and finalized the adoption of Rusty, so he is officially part of the family. The girls there were thrilled to hear he was doing well and had a good home.
My next stop was to get the propane tank filled and then on to Safeway for groceries and gas. Once that was completed, it was getting dark, so we hurried to pick up Zack’s meal supplements before getting my mail and heading for home.
Guy and Mary were still away, so I loaded all of the items into the Argo from the Jeep and almost died trying to load the full propane tank into the back, which now weighs 187 lbs. I never try to lift it, but push, shove, and manipulate it so it is leaning against the Argo and then push the bottom up until it balances itself and can be pushed into the back. It took me three attempts, which is two and half too many, but I finally got it in.
The Argo had been warming up the entire time and Zack was comfortable in the passengers seat. We started up the hill and had no problems, other than moving slowly due to the additional weight of the full propane tank and gas cans. By the time we got to the steepest part of the short cut up the power lines, the Argo couldn’t get enough traction and the wheels began to slip inside the snow tracks. After four attempts to get up the road, I had to back down and try the long way around that part.
I guess that due to the friction of the tires slipping, it heated them up and the snow and ice melted, causing the tires to continue slipping all of the time. Progress from this point on was tenuous, and we had to move in low gear at a walking pace.
I was very relieved when we reached the summit of the Divide and the remainder of the trip was basically down hill. We inched our way along, arriving home at 7 PM. I spent the next half hour unloading everything and then putting all of the groceries away, feeding the crew and building a fire. I was too tired to do much but sit in front of the fire and have my V-8 while reading my mail. It was 9:30 before I had the strength to fix myself some dinner. It dawned on me that I hadn’t had a single bit of food all day. I was in a hurry to leave this morning, so only had coffee, thinking I would grab a bite to eat in town, but I never felt hungry, so had nothing.
It started snowing by the time we had reached the Divide and was lightly snowing when I let Zack out before bedtime. NWS predicted a 70% chance of snow in the afternoon, so it was late, but I was glad as the lights reflecting off the snowflakes and the windshield wipers going make driving the Argo at night even more difficult.
My warm bed will feel good tonight.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Having stayed up until midnight, plus the wear and tear of yesterday, I slept until ten O’clock this morning, and felt that I needed the extra sleep. It is cold this morning, with the temperature at 11:00 being 1 degree and snowing heavily. I am sure glad I made the trip to town yesterday.
The snow is beautiful and I can enjoy sitting in front of my nice warm fire watching it coat my outside Christmas tree. The flakes are large and slowly floating to earth, just like one imagines a Christmas snow should be like. After today’s snow, it is supposed to be cold but mostly cloudy for the remainder of the week and the weekend. The high for today is supposed to be 8 degrees and it looks like it will achieve it.
I spent the day cleaning my kitchen so I could bake cookies and make peanut brittle, which I will give as gifts to my friends on Christmas day. I made a batch of peanut brittle and when it came time to put the baking soda in, which is at the very end, I couldn’t find it. Last week, I made a batch and left all of my ingredients out on the kitchen island and I guess I must of accidentally pushed it into the burnable trash, which is at the end of the island. I had no choice but to finish and hope that the missing soda wouldn’t ruin it.
After feeding the animals and stirring the fire, the peanut brittle had cooled enough that I sampled it and it tastes fine, so I’ll make another batch tomorrow and have enough to fill my Christmas containers for gifts. I am also going to bake chocolate chip cookies to give with the peanut brittle.
I don’t believe it got above 8 degrees all day and without any wind, it isn’t too hard to keep the cabin warm enough for all of us to be comfortable. I welcomed bedtime early, as I was still tired from the exercise I got from the trip to town.

Thursday, December 24, 2009
The wind picked up during the night and blew hard enough to charge the batteries fully. The battery bank registered 23.7 when I went to bed, and was at 24.1 when I got up this morning. It is cold again this morning, with the warmest of the day being 12.5 degrees at 11:30 last night.
I spent the day baking cookies and making more peanut brittle, all of which turned out well. I also attempted to fix the two flat tires on the Argo, without any luck. I don’t have time to remove the tracks and rotate the wheels, so I will hope that it will get us down to Marysville for Christmas dinner tomorrow and back again. Without any load to weigh it down, I should be able to make it home without a problem.
Several play periods with Zack and giving Rusty and Zoey some individual attention between baking the cookies, rounded out my day.

Friday, December 25, 2009 - Merry Christmas to One and All
The weather isn’t following NWS predictions and instead of clear and cold, it is overcast with light snow flurries. I am hoping that the tracks from my trip to town on Tuesday are still there and frozen over as it will provide a good base to travel on without sinking into the snow.
After spending Christmas morning with Zack, Zoey and Rusty, whom all got a visit from Santa, I prepared the spinach salad to take for the dinner and then got ready. After ironing a pair of slacks to wear, I played with Zack and then started the Argo to warm it up. I checked the tires again and found that the two bad ones were completely flat, plus an additional one was almost flat. I am not positive but I believe the cold weather is having something to do with it. I used another can of Fix-A-Flat and then aired up all three tires. The right front one held air and the rear left tire appeared to hold some air, but I couldn’t get it above 2 lbs. of pressure.
Zack and I headed to Mary and Guy’s in Marysville for the Christmas feast, making the trip without any problems.

Ray and Rae were already there, as was their dog, Oaklie, so Zack joined her on the deck along with Mary and Guy’s two dogs, while I enjoyed a glass of Cold Duck with the others.

Dinner was served at 4 PM and we all sat down to enjoy it.

When we finished, we had coffee and desert of apple pie and Christmas pudding. The Marysville fire chief, Dan, and his wife and two children stopped by and enjoyed some desert with us. Zack and I left around 6:30 and were home by 7 PM, without incident.
I built a fire, fed the animals and enjoyed some television before bedtime.

Saturday, December 26, 2009
The sky is clear and brilliant blue this morning, with the sun bouncing off the snow and making the day brighter than I’ve had for a while. NWS predicts the next few days clear, with a 20% chance of snow on Monday. The temperatures are still cold and the low was -6 at 8:00, and the highs are in the low 20s.
I spent today relaxing and aside from watching a couple of movies, I got out my sewing machine and set up. Although I purchased it some time ago, I haven’t used it, so needed to read the instructions, set up the bobbin and thread the needle. I have never used a sewing machine before, so this is a new learning experience. My machine has 28 different stitch patterns and for each pattern a different foot is needed. While several accessories are included with the machine, the foot necessary for darning, which is what I wanted to do, is an option. Not having experience, I am not sure if the type of mending I what to do, can be done with the accessories I currently have.
I tried my hand at practicing some different stitches on scraps of material and found it fairly easy to use. The machine does most the work for me, leaving me to keep the material straight and allowing it to feed through the foot. By the time I got the hang of it, it was getting dark and I need to play one last time with Zack and then feed him and the cats.
I managed to do two loads of wash while learning how to use the sewing machine, so folded the dry clothes and made the bed with clean sheets. I showered and then fixed myself a nice steak dinner with a spinach salad.

Sunday, December 27, 2009
The morning is cold, with -6.7 being the low at 8:20 AM, and the sky is clear with the bright rising sun coming over Greenhorn Mountain.
Before I finished my morning routine, I became involved in a couple of programs on the History Channel. One was the French Revolution and the other was on the conspiracy to kill Hitler called Valkyrie. I always find history educational and I am always surprised at how much it has changed. New discoveries have changed it since my days in schools and it make me wonder if most of what I was taught was just someone’s version of what they wanted us to believe.
I spent the day doing some house keeping and mending, getting more practice on the new sewing machine. I managed to sew up the ripped pockets on my sweatshirt, the crotch of a pair of pants and put a patch on the knee of my work pants. They may not look great, but at least they are now functional.
The day warmed up in the sun as the outside temperature registered 44 degrees, but the outside thermometers in the shade never climbed above 20 all day.

Week of Dec. 14 to Dec. 20

Monday, December 14, 2009

            The wind started around 9:30 last night and blew all night long, with gusts to 15 mph. That means the dry loose snow will be blown all over the place and large drifts will be on the road and the Divide. I never did put up the snow fence, as it was a low priority on my list of things to do, and now it probably wouldn’t make any difference.

            NWS is predicting snow for the next week and a half, with winds and temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s, so I shouldn’t have to deal with the sub-zero temperature of last week. The wind chill factors do come into play and temperatures become sub-zero when figured into the equation.

            I spent the entire day cleaning the cabin from top to bottom. It all started when I got up to find that Rusty had managed to pull Zack’s 3-gallon self-watering container from the stand. The kitchen floor was flooded, so I had to wash the rugs and mop the floor. When I had finished that; I continued cleaning, washing the bathroom rugs and vacuuming the entire cabin, including upstairs. The “natural” litter I have upstairs is nothing more than sawdust and it gets tracked all over the place, so I did a particularly good job of cleaning up stairs. I find the bits of sawdust in my bed and everywhere you-know-who with wet feet can get to.

            So far, I have tried three “natural” litters and haven’t been happy with any of them. One was a newspaper type compressed into small pellets, which neither cat liked. The other was pine sawdust pressed into pellets, which absorbed well but you can’t use a scoop to clean it out, so you must throw all of it out and start with fresh. This being a wood product, I was able to burn it in the stove, so it served two purposes. The scoopable form of this brand is just pine sawdust, which like I said, gets tracked everywhere. The last is called Swheat Scoop, which are finely ground wheat hulls. Both cats will use it, but it too gets tracked around.

            At least none of these litters will get rock hard like cement after being wet, so I will probably stick with the sawdust or the wheat hulls and see how it works out. At least the sawdust absorbs well, including odors, and smells like fresh cut wood.

            I carried out the burnable trash and some empty cardboard boxes and then mopped the remainder of the entry and dining room tile, along with the bathroom. After the rugs were all dry, I replaced them on the now clean floor, hoping they will last a few days with Rusty’s antics.

            Other than oiling the furniture, dusting all the knick-knacks and shelves, I managed to play outside with Zack several times and on the last occasion, he broke and split yet another nail, this time on the rear foot. I had to cut most of it off and doctor it before I fed him and the cats. I showered and fixed myself some dinner before calling it an evening.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

            It is overcast, but not snowing and the slight breeze is only occasional. It looks like a little patch of blue sky in the east, but it is quite dark beyond that.

            I worked inside, going out to shovel the path and start the generator, plus playing with Zack, and then worked on projects indoors.

            Zack and I played several times, and I spent time giving both Zoey and then Rusty some personal time in my lap. Just when I think Zoey has finally accepted Rusty and I watch them chase each other back and forth from one room to the next, she will turn on him and swat while hissing. Poor little guy isn’t sure what to do with mixed messages like that.

            The sun tried to make a showing in the late afternoon, and it got up to 33 degrees. I listened to the local radio station for a bit and they say that the upper winds have broken the arctic cold front and it will be moving out of the area, creating warmer temperature, which means around freezing.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

            It was snowing heavily this morning, adding more to my base. At least the wind is very mild, so it isn’t blowing all over the place. NWS is predicting snow through the week, into the weekend, and beyond.

            I had a chiropractor appointment for today, but cancelled it via email, as I didn’t feel like going through the trouble to get into town just for an adjustment. I will reschedule for the beginning of next week and that way I can pick up any necessary items and fill the gas cans while I am in town. I also need to pick up the fixings for a Christmas dinner salad and will need them to be fresh.

            I spent most of the day researching alternative power to increase my off the grid abilities.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

            It is snowing off and on, with gusty winds to 34 mph, so the roads will have big drifts when I go to town next week. The snow is still very dry and I can’t even compress it into a snowball. If it doesn’t warm up, this snow may all blow away with the wind.

            After my usual morning, I spent the entire afternoon working on the generator shed and have finished all of the new wiring and connection boxes, so I can put the foam insulation in the walls and cover them with the masonite sheets I bought.

            I came in at 5 PM; as it was too dark to see what I was doing and I still haven’t run a new wire from the cabin to the shed, so don’t have electricity unless I run the generator.

            One last play period for Zack and then I fed him and the cats, showered and fixed myself some dinner, ending the evening with some television.

Friday, December 18, 2009

            There is more blue sky than clouds showing, so I am hoping for a nice day. The wind is calm with only an occasional breeze. NWS is predicting more snowstorms coming in tonight and through next week, but temperatures are remaining in the teens and higher.

            I got out the Christmas decorations, put ornaments on the tree outside and then strung lights on it. The tree has grown a lot since we planted it and I had to get a ladder to put the top ornament and lights on. It looks nice and I have the lights on when the generator is running, so I can enjoy it, as it gets dark.

            I continued working on the shed and managed to get the insulation in the walls around the area where the large generator will be, and then cut openings in the Masonite for all of the outlets, boxes and breaker panel. I put up the panel on the back wall but still have the side to put up.

            While I was decorating the tree, Zack found a stick and had me throw it numerous times, so he got plenty of exercise today. One last play time and then dinner for all the critters and myself.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

            It is gloomy and overcast, with NWS promising snow showers by this afternoon. I plan on working in the shed again today, but have decided to restring the Christmas lights on the tree, as they didn’t look even when I watched them twinkle last night.

            It is 6 PM, and I have just quit for the day. After I restrung the lights, I decided to install the snowplow on the Argo and make sure the road up to the Divide was level and clear of any bad drifts. It took me longer than expected to install it, but I managed after a couple of tries. It is actually a two person job, so I have to balance it on something and then lift and attach one side at a time.

            I had given some thought about putting a large pipe in the creek at the crossing and then plowing snow over it so it will be easier to cross it in the Argo. The way the snow and ice pile up on the banks makes it about a three-foot drop into the creek and in the past, I’ve had trouble getting across.

            I had a piece of 14” well casing pile left over from when I installed my water system, so I placed that in the creek and then pushed snow over it from both sides. The running water washed a lot of it away, but enough has stayed that if more snow fills it in, it will be a nicer crossing.

            When that was finished, I plowed the road all of the way up to the Divide and didn’t finish and return until after dark. I feel good about the road and the work it took to get it plowed. I will be going to town on Monday or Tuesday, so I now know that the drifts are leveled and the path is clear.

            I just finished feeding the crew and building a fire and am typing this as I enjoy a glass of V-8 and watch the lights on the tree. I am glad I rearranged them, as they look so much better now.

            I am going to shower and then I’ll think about some dinner before relaxing in front of the fire and watching some television.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

            Before retiring last night, it was snowing lightly and when Zack went out, it was raining. It rained through out the night and I was awakened several times by the snow on the upper roof, falling onto the lower roof. This warming (35 degrees this morning), may change conditions but I won’t know if it is for the better or the worse until it happens. After plowing my road yesterday, the rain could cause it to become a slushy pit that will freeze when the temperature drops. Maybe it can be a bobsled run instead of a road.

            I had planned on working indoors today, trying to finish a couple of projects to mail when I am in town, but I also need to load at least one of my three empty propane tanks into the Argo to be filled, and prepare the Argo for the trip by removing the snow plow. For those of you that have followed my exploits, you may remember that two years ago, I almost flipped the Argo end for end when the plow broke loose and dug into the ground as I was going downhill at about 20 mile an hour.

            I removed the snowplow and worked on organizing the inside of the Argo, installing a board across the back seats and attached two boxes to it so I can carry the groceries home without them spilling all over the back. It was raining the entire time, so I worked in the Argo lean-to until it got too dark to see what I was doing. I’ll finish it tomorrow and load the trash and one propane tank in preparation for the trip to town.

            I came in and fed the crew and then showered and roasted a game hen for my dinner, which was delicious. Some television and then bedtime by eleven O’clock finished the day.

Week of Dec. 7 to Dec. 13

Monday, December 7, 2009
I managed to keep the fire going most of the night, getting up a couple of times to stoke it, but when I finally got up at 9:30, it was just coals and the temperature in the sunroom was 47 degrees. A check of the outside temperature showed it was -22 degrees outside, so I didn’t feel too bad. That -22 degrees was the low for the night and as the sun came up in a clear blue sky, it warmed to -5 by noon, with hopes of even higher temperatures this afternoon.
The winds and snow accumulation, that National Weather Service predicted, didn’t hit me, so I only have about 10” of snow and as of right now (noon) it is calm. If the winds on the Divide didn’t blow the snow into impassible drifts, I should still be able to drive out in the truck. I will attempt a trip to town tomorrow or the next day, and if there are drifts that I can’t get through, I’ll come back and take the Argo into Marysville.
Due to the weather, I will stay inside again today and work on various projects I have in progress.
I did manage to shovel a path to both the generator shed and the garage, but other than that and playing with Zack a couple of times, I stayed inside and worked on the computer and some projects.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009
It is cold this morning, with the low being 30 below zero at 6:30 AM. Neither of my weather stations record temperatures below minus 21.9, so I am going by my outside thermometer. I got up every couple of hours to feed the wood stove and I checked the outside thermometers in both the sunroom and the bathroom.
It hasn’t gotten above -10 degrees all day, but the sun is out and there is no wind. I had planned on going into town today, trying to drive over the Divide to Marysville in the truck, so Zack and I got ready and went out to the truck. While the battery wasn’t dead, it didn’t have enough juice to start the engine. The oil is probably like honey on a cold day, so it takes a lot to turn the engine over. I grabbed the RV battery, which I have inside the cabin and fully charged, but it too was drained before the engine started.
I tried the Argo and it only turned over twice and then was dead. I had started and ran all of the vehicles on Saturday but the -30 degree weather sucked the batteries power to almost nothing. I ended up taking all of the batteries out of the vehicles and bringing them inside to clean and charge over night. The combination of being in a warm environment and slow charged, should bring them up to par. If it isn’t too cold tonight, they should start the vehicles tomorrow.
By 4:30, I had everything inside and on the charger, so I played one last time with Zack and then fed him and the cats. Rusty is doing much better today, being more active at times, than yesterday. Still no breathing problems or runny nose and I haven’t heard him sneeze all day long. I am keeping my fingers crossed that his behavior is just his body adjusting to not having the antibiotics and that he will level out and be okay.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009
It is windy this morning and I know it is going to build the drifts on the road; so going to town is looking more and more like the Argo instead of the truck.
The batteries needed to charge more, so I spent the day working inside on several projects.
Rusty seems to be fully recovered as he is active from morning until night and has been eating and drinking well. I haven’t witnessed any drooling but he is sneezing on a fairly regular basis, but that could be because of the wood burning stove and dry atmosphere.
Playing with Zack, Rusty and Zoey before feeding them and myself, took up the remainder of the day.

Thursday, December 10, 2009
It is still below zero at night, but the daytime temperatures are warmer and in the 20s.
After my morning coffee and checking my emails, I re-dug a path to the generator shed and then to the garage. I then carried the truck battery out and installed it, just so I could run the engine for a bit after that terrible cold spell. After I got it installed, I tried to start it, but it acted like the battery was dead, so I removed it and took it back to the house.
Buy the time I installed the Argo battery and got it started, it was already 2 PM, so I gathered my lists and after playing with Zack we headed for Marysville. After snow removal from the Jeep, I left it running to warm up and visited with Mary and Guy for a few minutes and then drove to town.
After running my errands and getting groceries and gas, we headed for home in the dark. I transferred all of the items to the Argo while visiting with Guy. By the time we got home and unloaded, it was 8 PM. I fed Zack and the cats after stoking the fire and then sat down to relax before taking my shower and eating a light dinner.

Friday, December 11, 2009
The sky is clear and the sun is out, even though it is still only getting into the mid 20s. Without any wind, it is nice enough that I will work outside.
By days end, I had split and stacked about a half a cord of wood from the stacked sections next to the log splitter. As the trees and mountain created a shadow on my work area, the temperature dropped from a high of 33 degrees to 17 degrees, and I had to come in to warm up a couple of times before I got all the split wood stacked.
By the time I fed the critters and sat down with my V-8, I started feeling the pain from all the lifting, stooping, crouching and carrying. I took some Ibuprofen and ate some dinner before I improved.

Saturday, December 12, 2009
The morning was overcast and threatening, with NWS predicting snow. By a little after1:00 PM, it began snowing lightly and continued all day long.
I spent the day inside working on this and that, stopping to play with Zack several times. I fixed a cardboard scratchboard and sprinkled catnip on it for Zoey and Rusty to play with, which they enjoyed.
Nightfall found all of my furry friends fed and napping, while I built up the fire and thought about my dinner.

Sunday, December 13, 2009
Snow, snow and more snow. It hasn’t stopped snowing since yesterday afternoon and I now have more than 2 feet of new snow. It is the dry powder that skiers always dream of. If a wind comes up, it will all be blown away, just like most of the snow from the previous snowstorm.
I had to dig a new path to the generator shed and start the generator so I could do a couple of loads of wash. Zack and I played outside a couple of times and I generally worked on things inside today.

Global Warming - Ha!

Watch this video that John Stossel did on global warming.

Week of Nov. 30 to Dec. 6

Monday, November 30, 2009
Well, the weather report seems to be true as it is sunny and clear with the temperatures rising to the low 40s by noon. Snow is predicted for tomorrow, so I will try to take advantage of the good weather work on the shed today.
After my usual morning routine, I changed into my work clothes, played with Zack and went to work on the shed by noon. I spent the entire afternoon working on the wiring and discovered that I must have a bad wire coming from the cabin to the shed, as it wants to short out every time I flip on the circuit breaker. I have isolated the wires and am in the process of rewiring and putting in new junction boxes to the breaker panel. After stripping out all of the old, brittle wire, I began rewiring and had to stop when the sun ducked behind the mountain and left me in the dark.
I played with Zack one last time and then fed him and the cats, before sitting down to relax and rest my aching lower back. I guess I did more bending than I thought, as it is stiff and painful right now. I built a fire and will now shower before fixing myself some dinner and resting for the remainder of the night.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
I can’t believe it is already December and only 25 days until Christmas. Where does the time go? I awoke to a thick blanket of new snow this morning. It started snowing heavily around 2 AM this morning and continued until I got up, stopping at about 9:45. The clouds parted and left that really blue Montana sky, with the sun making all the snow so white that it almost blinds me. It is only 16 degrees at 10:30, but now that the sun is out, I think it will warm up, especially without any wind.
It is now 3:30 and I have just come inside from working on the shed. The floor of the shed is raised and as such is colder than the ground. My feet burn and hurt so much that I couldn’t stay out there much longer. I managed to get the circuit breaker box wired, but I need a few things from town to finish the job. I can’t build the generator platform before finishing the electrical as it would be in my way, so if the weather is half way decent tomorrow, I’ll go into town and buy the necessary items to finish.
I played with Zack and then stripped off my work clothes and boots so I can thaw out. I will work on my art projects for the remainder of the afternoon and then relax after dinner and watch some television.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Yesterday’s temperature never got above the teens in the shade and while in the direct sunshine it got to 44.7 degrees, you couldn’t prove it by me. The temperature dropped quickly as soon as the sun ducked behind the mountain, and by 6 PM, it was 6 below zero. The low for the morning was -13.4 degrees and it was -10 when I got up at 9 AM, and for those that may wonder, yes, I did have my bedroom window open all the way.
My morning started off lousy as one of the first things I do, after turning on the water to heat for my coffee, is to start a fire. Because it was so cold outside, I knew that I needed to preheat the wood stove chimney in order for the fire to draw properly and allow the smoke to go up the chimney. I had a large wad of brown packing paper and I put it in and lit it. In a short period of time it seemed to heat the air and start drawing the smoke up the chimney, so I put on some wood and a fire starter square and lit it. From there, it all went bad and the smoke immediately filled the sunroom as the colder outside air forced its way down the chimney, pushing all of the fire and smoke into the room.
I have had this experience previously, so I grabbed the cats and put them in the living room, closing the sliding door that separates the living room from the sunroom. Zack was already upstairs napping on my bed, so he was relatively safe from the smoke. Some smoke had already gotten into the living room, but it wasn’t enough that I was concerned about the animals, so I opened the outside sliding door in the sunroom to hopefully allow the smoke to dissipate and the fire to draw in fresh air. While that helped some, the fire still wasn’t drawing properly and I was choking on the acrid smoke.
I placed my box fan in the sliding door opening and turned it on full blast, hoping it would clear the room of smoke, and I went into the living room to breath less smoky air. When the fire began to draw, it was 42 degrees in the sunroom and still smoky. I got out my survival candles and lit several, placing them around the room to help eliminate the smoke. As the stove slowly heated the room, the outside temperature was still -6 degrees. It took two full hours to clear the room of all smoke and heat it to 62 degrees.
Due to clear blue skies and sunshine, I will make my way into town today and buy the necessary materials to finish the generator shed project. I am disappointed at the problems and work involved in completing what I thought was a simple project that shouldn’t have taken more than a couple of hours. Judging from my past experience, I anticipate that it will take at least two to three days of work to set it all correct and finished so I can finally install the big generator.
Zack and I drove into town without any problems but got a late start, leaving the cabin at 2 PM. We stopped at Costco for a case of canned cat food. They have the best price and the way Rusty has been eating, I need a large amount to last awhile. Next stop was at Home Depot where I bought the wire, insulation, sheeting to cover the wall and some other incidentals. I took the Jeep as the generator is still in the back of the truck, so I had to secure the insulation and wallboards to the roof.
We picked up my mail and then stopped at Ace Hardware to pick up a couple of items, then on to Safeway to buy groceries and get gas. It was dark by the time we left and I decided to stop and get a Papa Murphy’s pizza so I wouldn’t have to fix anything when I got home. Have you tried their Cowboy pizza? I absolutely love it.
We drove straight home and I was a little concerned about ice on the Divide stopping us, but there was enough snow to give us traction and we made it home without a problem. By the time I got all the groceries unloaded and put away, fed the crew, stoked the fire and poured myself a V-8, it was 8 O’clock. I baked the pizza and enjoyed it while watching some television before bedtime.

Thursday, December 3, 2009
I managed to keep the fire going all night so I wouldn’t repeat the problem of yesterday, and I am glad I did, as it was 16 below zero when I got up at 9 O’clock this morning. The low temperature for the morning was -19.4 degrees at 7:45 AM. While it is clear and sunny, it is way too cold to be working outside, so unless it warms up considerably, I opt to stay inside and work on my art projects.
While doing my morning grooming, I turned on the hot water tap, to rinse out my toothpaste filled mouth, and nothing came out. I thought the accumulator tank was just empty, so I went to the closet and flipped the water pump switch on. I was surprised when the pump didn’t kick on, so looked at the gauge and discovered I had pressure. I went to the kitchen sink and turned on the hot water tap and nothing came out. I turned on the cold water tap and had running water. If the sub-zero weather was going to freeze anything, it should be the cold water lines, not the hot water lines. I checked to see if the pilot light on the water heater was on and it was. I decided to wait and see if the increasing outside temperature would have any affect and sure enough, by noon, the hot water ran freely. I have no idea what happened and have never had this happen before. The only thing I can figure is that the inlet or outlet hose on the water heater, which is close to an outside wall, may have froze.
National Weather Service is prediction snow for tomorrow and through the weekend, but they don’t estimate how much snow I’ll get. If I get a lot, and if there is wind, I need to move my Jeep down to Marysville or I may be snowed in and unable to get over the Divide. I’ll keep a close eye on it and make a decision as more information becomes available.
Well, after checking two other sources regarding the weather, and finding that NWS just issued a storm warning for lots of snow and low temperatures, I decided I should take the Jeep to Marysville today, without delay.
I took the insulation and paneling off the roof of the Jeep and put it in the shed, hooked the tow bar to the truck receiver and then to the Jeep and off I went, leaving Zack at the cabin due to him breaking a claw close to the toe. I had to cut it off and control the bleeding, wrap it in gauze and then put on a sock to keep it clean and dry.
I debated whether to put chains on the truck or not, but decided that I should be able to make it without them. As I started down to the creek crossing, the truck slid one way and Jeep another. Once at the creek, I was unable to pull the Jeep up the other side, even in four-wheel drive low, so unhooked the Jeep and drove each vehicle up to level ground. After that, I was able to make my way to the spring, where the Jeep started sliding all over the place and the truck was just spinning its wheels. I unhooked the jeep, ferried each vehicle to the top of the Divide separately, and then decided that I should go ahead and put the chains on, as it can be very slippery going down the hill to Marysville.
I was glad I had the chains on as several spots were difficult and without the chains, I wouldn’t have made it. I finally got to Marysville, unhooked the Jeep, and parked it at Guy and Mary’s place. They were in town, so I headed back home, arriving at 5 O’clock.
I fed the critters and stoked the fire as the temperature was already dropping fast and was at zero. I decided to finish this update before having my dinner or showering.

Friday, December 4, 2009
While it is clear, calm and sunny this morning, NWS is predicting a 90% chance of snow this evening. The weather warning for this storm is listing a possible 2+ feet of snow with wind chill temperatures at 25 below zero. It is the wind blowing the snow into impassible drifts that will keep me from driving in and out until this coming June. I will need to use my Argo from this point forward and will install the snow tracks today.
Last night’s temperature fluctuated between -5 and +2 degrees until I went to bed at 12:30. The overall low was -6.9 at 7:40 this morning. With the sun out and no wind, it had reached 16 degrees by 11 AM. I am going to put the tracks on the Argo and then make sure everything is secure in preparation for this coming storm.
Well, it took me just over four hours to get the tracks on the Argo and that was with only one 15 minute break to change the Little Hotties in my boots. They are a small chemical heat toe warmer that sticks to the bottom or top of your socks. While the package says that they last for up to 5 hours, mine only lasted 2, but they did keep my toes from freezing.
After getting the snow tracks on I had to air up all eight of the tires, so I used my small portable pump that plugs into the light of the Argo to do so. I carry one of these in all my vehicles and have had occasions to use each of them to air up tires or inflatable items.
I came in at 4:30, and before taking off my outdoor wear, I went on the deck and played with Zack for a while. His nail has healed over the end so it doesn’t bleed and he isn’t favoring it, so I tossed the disc a few times to make him happy and then we came in. I fed him and the cats and then showered before settling in for the evening.

Saturday, December 5, 2009
The predicted snowstorm came in early this morning and I kept the fire going enough that the cabin stayed comfortable. I stoked the fire, let Zack out to pee, fed Rusty and Zoey, and had my morning coffee while checking my emails.
Boy am I stiff and sore this morning. All of the bending, stooping and kneeling to put on the snow tracks yesterday, really took its toll.
Due to the weather, I stayed inside and found plenty to keep me busy. I have been working on a wood carving and purchased some additional Dremel tool bits for the job while I was in town last week. I am disappointed in how they cut the wood and now must think of some other way to finish this project.
I played inside with Zack, but he wasn’t satisfied and demanded I throw his disc for him. I did so a few times, but the cold is too much for me just standing around outside. He seemed satisfied, so we came in and I gave him his dinner. I also fixed Rusty’s usual, with all the supplements that I put in Zack’s food, but he didn’t come into the kitchen as he normally does. I went to check on him and found him asleep in his bed. He was drooling and looked totally out of it, like the last time he went down hill after finishing a round of antibiotics.
The little guy is totally a rag and doesn’t seem to have the energy to even stand up. I took him into the kitchen and put a small amount of his food on his nose, but he ignored it and just sat there with a blank stare on his face. I encouraged him to eat, but he didn’t. I then warmed up a little milk knowing that at least that would keep him hydrated, but after putting some on his nose, he just laid down on the floor. He looked totally miserable, so I took him back to the sunroom and held him in my lap the remainder of the evening.
His nose isn’t running and he doesn’t seem to have labored breathing, so I am not sure if this is a relapse of the upper respiratory infection or not. I am beginning to think that he may be having seizures, not showing much outward signs, as my vet books list the drooling, and the stupor behavior as possible effects from seizures.
There wasn’t anything else I could do for him, so I decided to leave him in my chair and went to bed. Sometime during the early morning hours, he appeared in bed with me, so he had the strength to climb upstairs and into my bed. By daylight, he was acting like his normal self, chasing my toes and running around the cabin. When I got up, he was playing and had eaten some of his food and most of the milk, or someone else did. I know Zoey didn’t because she doesn’t like the additives in her food and won’t eat it, but Zack may have helped himself, who knows?

Sunday, December 6, 2009
This morning is only minus five degrees and the overnight low was only -6 degrees. I will be staying indoors all day today as NWS is predicting the possibility of a wind chill factor of -35 today.
Rusty seems normal, so I am just going to monitor his behavior and intake before deciding if I need to get him to town and back on antibiotics.
I am finishing this update at 5:30 PM, and not much about the weather has changed from this morning. It remained minus five degrees all day, dropping to -10, as it got dark. The wind that NWS predicted never appeared, for which I am thankful, and the wind chill factor stayed the same as the outside temperature.
I tried to encourage Zack to play inside, but he insisted on chasing the disc, no matter how cold it was outside. We played briefly and he was glad to come in and warm up. I had to shovel a pile of wind-blown snow from the sliding door and deck just so we could go out, and I shoveled a path from the cabin to the generator shed to start the generator. In this cold weather, the generator oil is so thick that it takes several pulls to get it started, which always scares me because if it won’t start, I currently have no other means to charge the batteries and would be without power.
I spent much of the day cleaning out and rearranging my kitchen cabinets, and then cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, while doing four loads of wash. The generator stopped a couple of times without explanation, but started right away and charged afterwards. Doing the wash usually keeps the water pump running and that drains the batteries, so I was glad that the generator was reliable.
I will now shower and fix some dinner before settling in for the evening.