Here comes old man freeze your bum off!

We have about 28 degrees (a real heat wave compared to Thursday morning when it was 6). They are forecasting 3-5". Maybe I'll get to use the snowblower for the first time this year. Not holding my breath though, last time they called for 3-5", we got less than an inch.

Have a nice load of red oak cruising along in the woodstove.

 

It is about 12 degrees here. No wind. Snow forecasted this afternoon and overnight. A warm front is pushing rain up from the south and hitting this arctic air. 6"-10" predicted.

Oak is on the menu. Stay out of the hot sun folks...

 

Very light snow coming straight down, and about 11-12°.
Decided to turn on the laundry room heater late last night, and awoke to the house @almost 71. I opened the air on the stove and the last bit of a split just burned down.
Thinking about loading up for a decent day burn and turning off the heater.
First cup of coffee in hand.

 

Decided this year that if the stove won't quite cut it, I'll use the heater overnight when it gets this cold.
Absotively and posolutely hate using the gas, but I also hate waking to a too cool house.

 

All this snow is from moisture flowing outa bogydave's wood stacks. Big Arctic dip in the jet stream shooting that water south to us and making snow here. So yeah, wood does dry thru winter.

 

We had -15 this morning, 6-10 inches of snow possible for this area starting later tonight. We'll push some wood in before the storm (I'll stick with the Cherry) we'll see what January brings for temps, if it stays cold like this the Beech & Sugar Maple will come in.

 

Not as cold over here woodlands but pretty close. Gonna pull out some of this Locust today

 

Calling for 4-8" today and we're off to a good start.

 

I agree with you on the overnights, with it as cold as it was last night (12 deg) the stove would not keep the house above 60.
We had the furnace running sometime after 4am until I got home from work at 7:30. I hate to do it but not much choice right now.

I may be looking into another stove for next year, the Oslo is not getting me the morning coal bed I'm looking for anymore.
The inline flue damper helped with the draft but still not getting great results.

 

It has warmed up to a nice 11'F here this morning on the north central Ma/NH border from the 4'F it was when I got up at 7:00AM.

I just reloaded the Fireview and have let the Resolute in the family room die out, as it needs to be emptied of this weeks burning, as I've had it going almost all week as well. The wife does her wrapping down there this time of year, so she likes it cozy. I've got a little stereo down there and she plays Christmas Cds and wraps the booty that we give out to all our loved ones. We go a little over the top at Christmas, ..we always did on my side of the family, but her family was dirt poor, so although she doesn't admit it, it's a huge treat for her.

Tonight, the local professional level musicians we have in the general extended community around here put on a First Night of Christmas folk/rock/jazz concert at the local church. One of the guys that spearheads this (and he is a fabulous musician) and has his students play too.. so it's a nice mix of young but very good teen musicians, and some really great pros. It's like a 3 hour concert and cost a measly $10 for a ticket and all the money goes to the Salvation Army.

Speaking of the Salvation Army, ...my daughter was between jobs one year, out in Northampton Mass. so she took the Salvation Army Kettle Coodinator job. Which is pretty much coordinating all of the volunteer Salvation Army bell ringers, and collecting all the kettles every night, keeping the records of the amounts, putting the money in the bank, etc etc. A small part of the job is getting publicity for the Christmas Drive. She lined up the mayor and some dignitaries from the local colleges etc for a photo shoot for the newspapers.. but what did they run in one of them instead? Yep, ...my baby girl. See pic. It was the best job she ever had.. she worked in the office every day where the poor and the needy, and the alcohol and drug dependent wind up when they have no place to go. She told me the story of one young woman.. came in in a T-shirt and jeans (it was December!) ...she had 3 little kids hanging off her, they were all poorly dressed too.. her, male partner had run away with public assistance check, and she had been evicted.. no place to go, no idea what to do.. My daughter saw how the other half lives, ...and it was good for her.

If you've got an extra couple bucks, and you pass a kettle.. make a donation, it will go directly to the poor and the needy in your local area.

 

Awesome, nice lookin' splits in the bucket too!

 

Just got back from ring the bell Hippie. I enjoy it more every year. The wife and I love to help the less fortunate this time of year. We doubled up on a lot of the things we normally do like Angel Tree and Operation Christmas Child. After all that I hit a drawing at work for 1000.00.....it comes back. We have a saying between a few friends "You can't out give God"

 

Well it's snowing it's 20 degrees outside 75 in the house, Loaded the stove up last night at 7:30, At 9 this morning it was 62 in the house, Enough coals to reload with.

Pulled out the snow blower to fire it up yesterday, Pulled the gas line to drain a little gas that was in the tank, out, Oh chit Cracked the hose now its leaking, What to do now? , hmm, Go buy a piece of hose? Well let's go see what I can find in the shop, Hallelujah Found a piece of hose to fit, (Only needed two inches long) And to boot, I found brand new clamps to fit
Fresh gas and a little bit of starting fluid and she is ready to go
But if I don't even get to use it, It won't bother me a bit

 

Amen to that, and what a great gift that you and your wive give your time to.

God bless!

Steve