Pellet heads!! What's up today?

Yesterday was brutal, some of the worst weather I've been in. It was -7 with -35 wind chill. Lots of blowing and drifting snow. You couldn't even see anything, plus all the snow just hitting your face and eyes. Lots of things broke and went wrong. Ended up spending more time outside than I would have liked. Finishing fixing a few more things today as the temp is a tiny bit warmer, but there's little wind.

Hopefully the ol tractor will start, it's going to take awhile but I should be able to get through the drifts. Some are close to 7ft. Many others are 2-5 ft. The tractor roll bar is just over 7ft.

 

I feel the F you response I gave them was appropriate

Sam

 

Emptied the ash pans of both stoves.

Cooked potatoes in the P61a yesterday morning to make a bowl of mashed taters. Had some for a later meal.

Opened the door to the garage and set the P61a to run full time at about feed rate 1 (once the garage hit in the high 40's). I've had a space heater out there to keep it at 35, and the last couple of days I've been running the FHW for about 10 minutes every 5-6 hours to keep the pipes that run thru the garage from freezing. With the temps and winds, decided that I needed more out there. Plus, with the big stove running full time, the floor above is warmer, and some of the heat comes upstairs. That means the P43 doesn't need to run full time, so the main floor is quieter.

Cats aren't happy as they are now gated out of the basement (so they don't go into the garage), and I had to bring a litter box upstairs, but we all have to make sacrifices during these times

 

Snow estimate is up to 3-7" 3 to7" and 1-3" through Monday overnight.

Our pipes are all in the basement, but when it was mid minus 20s with strong winds a few years back, the hot water line burst where it runs along the basement wall to the washing machine area.
Basement air was well above freezing, so it surprised me for sure.
I had the plumber put a valve in back away from the wall and i shut it off and drain the last portion of the line now when it's cold by opening the y splitter.
Cold line has a splitter too and i have a second hose on that, and drip it down the washing machine drain.
I also now use that to rinse the drain after every wash, since we have had lint block the drain before, and were only just able to wash it out after two days and avoid having to pay to have it cleared.
Fortunately the plumber in the area that had the equipment wasn't immediately available, so we dodged that bill.
No utility sink down there, so can't do the panty hose filter trick.

We hit -10 last night.

 

Well, as of 7:20 this morning, still have power. Freezing rain started in the early hours about 2 am. Fingers crossed.

 

Deadlift day today.
Bit of a challenge since i unplug the stove to avoid jarring the motor as the heavier weights come down.
This platform is much better isolated from the floor, and the weight is a bit farther from the motor than when i i killed a motor years ago, but it's not worth the risk to see how it would go.
Wife is out on Sundays doing her thing at the library when it's closed, and i hang a sheet on the li(v)fting room doorway.
Then heat the rest of the house back up with the oil after i'm done.
But i'll wait a bit extra today, and see if we get to zero f before i start.

*Probably today i'll just run the oil as i lift.

 

Poor little tractor (Jr) got a work out. Took a little over an hour and half. Now I just have to do the driveway and road side.

Thinking I need a different setup for this place. Definitely could use new tires with a better traction pattern, maybe versa tracs? Seems like a snow pusher box in the front and a rear snow blower would work better. Then I could switch the snow pusher off for my bucket if needed.

I really don't want to get a different bigger tractor, but all the stuff to change this setup around is

 

SN*W

 

we got at least 18" overnight, chance of 3-6" more later today.



Sam

 

On this Burn's Day I leave you with the guy in red and some Scotts

 

Topped out at 7" total up here.
Friends downstate got close to 2'

Blessedly below freezing all week, so i can ignore the snow as long as i want.
But i plan on getting out there today after i lift.

Eh, should clear another path to the mailbox now, and cut through the berm the town plow left, so the carrier can get us our mail.
Snowblower later.
Cleared the shed roof yesterday, so there's just an inch or so on it now.

 

11º here this morning.....UGH.

 

Southern boy hates the cool, it was below zero here and me doesn't measure it now.

 

Last cleaning of the grounds yesterday morning, got the truck cleaned off and moved it so I could clean under it too. Ended up with another 3.5", so a total of 16" for the long duration storm. Not nearly as bad as I was expecting. Since I still had the 7" of snow on the roof from previous storms, just before dark I roof raked what I could reach, then cleaned that up off my paths.

Still heating the garage with the P61a, so going thru lots of pellets - at least they are the cheap GS (relatively speaking). The garage temp is staying between 48* and 52* but I can't turn the stove down any lower than 0.5 feed rate. This will go on for another 10-14 days minimum as outside temps are not expected to rise for a while. I haven't had to do this in quite a few years, and it is a PITA.

I gotta get a screen door for that entryway so I don't have to keep the cats locked upstairs during times like these. I have been keeping the entry door partly blocked with a big, flattened cardboard box (I keep them for a reason). It is enough to give the cats pause if one escapes to the basement; 1 is very clever, 1 is very smart and both really want to get down there. The other one is lazy and doesn't really care, but would follow if given the chance.

 

Lots of cold snaps this winter, I'm getting sick it. Got another one next 2 days. -10 with -34 wind chills again.

 

Swiped off the mustache just after the P43 shut down. Apparently Lila is inspecting to make sure I did a good job (and Ziva the cockatiel is supervising Lila - LOL)



Actually, I think she was watching the last of the glowing embers in the firepot. She would watch for several seconds, drop down and look from different angles, walk aay for a few seconds, then get back up there. I didn't get any good pics as I was busy doing things so by the time I grabbed my phone and get it focused, she'd be back off.

No worries, plenty cool enough where her paws are at. The glass is probably still too hot - but she never got closer. First time I've seen this behavior from her. Heck, for all I know, she does that all the time with the P61a when I don't have the basement gated off. She normally likes to sit next to the stove while its warm,

Surprised Spot hasn't jumped on top yet - she waits until the exhust fan goes off, then jumps up to lay on the warm top.

 

Those are only for the peeps in florida......they'll need them about now.