-38 “That’s about all I got to say bout that.”

Forrest Gump

Just watching an episode of Longmire. The one where he is chasing a bad guy on foot in a snowstorm then falls into a creek. Like I wasn’t already feeling the cold. The wood stove isn’t drafting right It means most likely that the top of the chimney is clogged. The cold is causing the creosote to form blocking the airflow. It means the stove isn’t getting warm enough. Only way to fix it is to go up on the roof and chip away at the problem. The slippery tin roof. In -38. Another choice is to sit right beside the wood stove and stay warm as I can.

You know what I will choose. With some dumb luck I won’t fall off the roof and freeze to death outside. If I don’t write anymore you know where I am. Send help for the cats 😀

hen and chicks

Well it turns out it was just a sticking flapper on the back of the woodstove. Another flaw in the design. The most expensive woodstove on the market also the worst. I mean lets start with wooden handle on the front of a red hot wood stove. Come on.  Been replaced twice, finally gave Up on that. Cold air intake flapper that sticks closed all the time. A catalytic insert that causes smoke to blow out the front of the woodstove. I have to open the door to the outside to let smoke out every time I load it. And on and on. I HAVE RENAMED MINE TO SMOKE KING. It needs a redesign and a welder. I think I can make it better, but when summer comes it doesn’t become a priority. Four years straight.

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Well the temperature is way up,  it is only -27 now  And yup its time for chopping wood.

Ya just finished that job more like -40 or more. Why are they getting this so wrong? I am guessing that the polar vortex is not really predictable. The temperatures and duration of the cold spell are always changing day by day.

Tomorrow I will need to go to town cat food is empty. The predicted temp of -16 is not going to happen. I predict another day of -30 or more. It will mean running the generator to heat up the van and charge the battery, and pray I can get her started.

Hopefully I will be able to get the van running or the kitties will be eating poison oatmeal thanks to Bayer-monsanto. Maybe me too