{"id":24719,"date":"2023-02-20T09:33:01","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T16:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/journal\/?p=24719"},"modified":"2023-02-20T16:35:33","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T23:35:33","slug":"feb-20-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/journal\/2023\/02\/20\/feb-20-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Feb 20 Digging in Snow"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have faith in God. It will make you dig deeper and become a better leader.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anne F. Beiler<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oily cat poop day 2. I should be saving that oil for the next four mornings. Minus 32 three or four days in a row.<\/p>\n

I woke too sore and too tired to argue with my inner voices. No I am not schizo, we are all fine.🤪<\/p>\n

Cat food and water first, kindling, then cut boards, make more kindling, build the fire.<\/p>\n

Built on a bed of used motor oil, and cat poop sawdust. Still dealing with an expired bic barbecue lighter. That thing never worked from day one. After 15 tries I got one tiny little flame. Just enough to start the fire.<\/p>\n

The sky is clear outside, a sign of an Arctic high pressure system that comes with extreme cold.<\/p>\n

In a few minutes I have to make the trip outside through deep snow to find a few more boards to get me through the next mornight.<\/p>\n

I have lots of things planned for today. I am not sure I will get much done. Pain in my chest, my left ear, back and neck say no.<\/p>\n

The fact they need doing says I don’t have a choice.<\/p>\n

My gen crapped out again last night. I can’t charge solar batteries and run the xbox. Yesterday I just ran the Xbox and it died. It means that it is putting out less and less.<\/p>\n

I am hoping that the sun has moved enough to charge batteries using solar. The truth is that is a very small hope. Days are still short and the sun is low in the sky.<\/p>\n

I guess its time to get a few boards if they are there.<\/p>\n

There is lots there, a lot rotten from years of weather, but many were not. I pulled out a few days worth. Manged to fill my boots and neck full of snow. I brought in a big arm load and of course they dropped in front of the door. Not on purpose.<\/p>\n

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

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

I am taking my vitamins, soon to make coffee, maybe breakfast. I certainly got my excercise done. There are more boards under the deep snow. I will find them when I need to.<\/p>\n

After coffee I will try to get the gen running. My solar panels are generating a small amount, maybe enough to keep my internet on. I am using my drill battery to usb converter to charge my phone and I will try to charge my powerbank with them.<\/p>\n

At least they got charged when the gen was working.<\/p>\n

I am back in the fireroom cutting boards. I noticed the fire was almost out. It was only 2 PM. Still the warmest part of the week.<\/p>\n

Gen still not started. I realized I would have to go out and gather more boards.<\/p>\n

I just just waiting for pulse to be lower than 123. Yup just measured.<\/p>\n

I brought in another hundred pounds of boards. I also filled another giant bowl of snow.<\/p>\n

When my lungs catch up with my body, i will try to cut some more.<\/p>\n

I just caught a big lung full of smoke trying to breathe life into the fire. Note to self. Don’t try to blow on hot coals while your lungs still need to gulp air.<\/p>\n

It’s ten in the fireroom. It was 15 earlier. The secret of keeping a house warm in extreme cold is to keep it warm. I know seems self redundant.<\/p>\n

When I got home after 45 days in the hospital 2014. I came home to a house that was -45 inside. It took 12 hours of wood heat to get it to 0.<\/p>\n

I learned important things that day. Memory foam freezes. I was so happy to see my bed I did a flop onto the bed, with a freshly broken back and neck.<\/p>\n

The bed was as hard as plywood. Yes I did scream outloud. I spent the night, lying on the floor, covered in blankets with my head nearest the woodstove. I survived.<\/p>\n

I just handsawed more boards. I am on the next break. The log hoop is 45 percent full. The problem is if I cut more I will need to go get more.<\/p>\n

Whats left out there is nasty. A\u00a0 triple 2×10 beam four feet long. An 8 foot 4×4,\u00a0 2 twenty foot boards and worse. I would rather leave that till tomorrow when it’s really fookin cold. Wait what am I saying.<\/p>\n

I am saying don’t over do it. I have done enough for today. I needed to switch to some easier task.<\/p>\n

I decided to take the snow turned to water up to the filter system. Clean water for cats &\u00a0 coffee during the deep freeze.<\/p>\n

I still had one full store bought.\u00a0 I needed to haul it upstairs some time today before it freezes.<\/p>\n

I brought another drill battery up to recharge my powerbank. I could run my internet with that.<\/p>\n

Ya it’s 4 PM. Came down to fill the fire, and you already know I cut two more boards. I couldn’t help it, they were screaming cut me.<\/p>\n

So I did. Hahaha.<\/p>\n

This just in we have an official extreme cold warning in effect -40 windchills.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I laughed when I found this song, especially when Gene Kelly SANG “you have to put the heat on to make the kettle perc.” Too funny.<\/p>\n