{"id":20613,"date":"2022-01-04T11:30:05","date_gmt":"2022-01-04T18:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/journal\/?p=20613"},"modified":"2022-02-13T10:54:33","modified_gmt":"2022-02-13T17:54:33","slug":"jan-4-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/journal\/2022\/01\/04\/jan-4-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Jan 4 Frozen Indoors"},"content":{"rendered":"

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

D. H. Lawrence<\/strong><\/p>\n

2 degrees inside. I put on my insulated overalls and went to work. Cats needed feeding. Got that done first.<\/p>\n

Doing my scheduling as I fed them, made decisions as I worked. Things that required doing.<\/p>\n

Ashes needed the galvanized washtub. I opened the woodstove door, I started to pull some firewood I thought out. No luck still smouldering.<\/p>\n

I remembered the pile of grass and twigs I had swept up months ago at the front entrance, shielded from snow.<\/p>\n

After grabbing a 5-gallon bucket,\u00a0 the big dustpan, and just for fun the machete. I headed for the door in the garage. The pile was covered with snow from the big wind of yesterday.<\/p>\n

I filled the 5-gallon bucket anyway. I noticed that my anonymous helper had been there. Someone with a big machine. I am thankful he showed up.<\/p>\n

I went down the driveway to have a look, snow and logs pushed up, so I could get to them. Enough to get me through this cold spell.<\/p>\n

If I could keep my new saw running. I might be able to stay warm. Not this morning, but soon.<\/p>\n

I went around the house and cleaned the solar panels and grabbed the big washtub, then went in with everything loaded in the tub.<\/p>\n

I loaded the woodstove with the grass and twigs, rummaged through a bag of burnables put all that inside. Lit it and hoped.<\/p>\n

I filled my kettle for morning coffee. Being the optimist, I put it on the woodstove. All in vain. The fire went out as soon as the paper and plastic were consumed.<\/p>\n

Undaunted I grabbed my kettle and went to my kitchen lit my camp stove.\u00a0 I was going to have hot coffee.<\/p>\n

So now I am typing this knowing soon I would have to go to the very end of my driveway, cut logs, fill the sled. Drag that load through the deep drifts and chop.<\/p>\n

Earlier my hands froze in minutes, it must be close to minus fifty.<\/p>\n

Next would be to get the saw ready. I pulled the bar and cleaned the ice and frozen sawdust from inside. The throttle trigger seemed to be working again. I imagine the problem was ice and snow around the linkage. I filled it full of gas and sharpened the chain best I could. It was ready.<\/p>\n

I was still at least two hours from warmth. I am having coffee with my overalls on.\u00a0 Know it means I will be colder when I do get outside.<\/p>\n

Needed doing. Right now, having coffee and watching Horatio Cane solve murders.<\/p>\n

Oh no, coffee is done. Soon time to make the walk.<\/p>\n

Made the walk cut firewood. My saw ran ok, but the chain wasn’t sharp enough. I kept cutting till I couldn’t.<\/p>\n

Something weird happened out there. I wore Thinsulate gloves. Way too thin, my hands were freezing so bad I could hardly hold the saw. I kept working.<\/p>\n

After a while, I noticed my hands were warm. In 40 years of cutting in winter, I have not experienced that before.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Decided to chop indoors on the chop as u need it plan<\/p><\/div>\n

Ya I know. Not enough, I needed a second load. Faguck.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At least for now, the fire is burning. I made a bit of kindling. Looks like it will keep burning. Good thing in the fire room it’s minus 1.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After a break, I will try to do a better job sharpening and go out again.<\/p>\n

Done and done again, including gathering snow.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Got more wood than Ron Jeremy<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ya might have enough for tonight.😝<\/p><\/div>\n