A muscle is like a car. If you want it to run well early in the morning, you have to warm it up.
Florence Griffith Joyner
Cool morning, my kettle sitting on a counter in the kitchen, had frozen water inside, frozen solid.
Cats fed, boards sawn, kindling made,fire started.
Plus 5 and climbing in the fireroom. It was minus 4 when I started.
Wearing my bathrobe, funny hat and snow boots I gathered more snow for melt. It was definitely colder than -40.
Needed to saw more boards for the fire. I chose the triple 2×12 four foot beam. I got halfway through the first cut. It felt like I hit a nail. I stopped right away and hauled the beam out of the way and grabbed a 8 foot 2×4 instead.
Even sawing through that was tiring. It got done, but the last cut took every ounce of energy. Yes some of those words are from a Bob Seager song.
I looked around and realized I still did not have enough wood. So I started cutting on a 10 foot 4×4. Ya I got through 2 cuts and my arm cramped up.
It was 9 degrees in the fire room now still climbing. My kettle was almost hot enough. The cat bowls full of snow were not. I would have to wait a bit longer.
I needed coffee but the cats needed water.
I added a little of my hot water from the kettle to the cats dishes. They had drinkable water. I had water for coffee, I was tired out and in pain.
It was time for me to go. Back under warm blankets, I checked the temp in my room it was four.
The heat would eventually get up here.
It was time for coffee. Soon I would be pouring woodstove heated water over coffee grounds in a bamboo filter.
Soon as that was done some hormone free powdered whole milk stirred in and I would having that first cup. Maybe, just maybe some hot oatmeal, chia seeds and honey for breakfast.
The rest of the day would be keeping the fire going and staying warm.
I went check on the fire. I put in the two 4×4 pieces I cut earlier. Yup I needed more. I cut up the rest of the 4×4. My arm cramped up again. It wasn’t enough. I would need to saw more.
I was going to attempt running the gen, when I lifted it off the ground the handle was too cold to hold. That meant the gen was too cold.
I put it in the fire room. I knew it would be a pee target for the boy cats, so I covered it with a garbage bag.
I needed to run the old gen to charge drill batteries so I could reiniflate the flat tire, so I could get to town to pick up the new gen.
The problem was it was too cold and it was broken. It would be minor miracle if I could get this done.
Oh there it is a cat already backed up to the gen in a bag and was ready to pee. A quick swatting motion stopped that.
You already know, I cut more wood. Nothing left inside except the triple hell beast beam.
I had to.
The predicted temp didn’t happen too cold for the gen. I hope tomorrows predictions were more accurate.
One more cut and the beam would be done. Just not right now. My saw is getting dull. The muscles in my arm were done for the day.
Ok not so much. I had to finish the beam it will be dark soon and cold. I figured I might need more wood. So I cut the last cut.
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