Spring Storm Non-Event

With howling winds down by the lake and a high of 25 at work yesterday, it was a little nasty out.  Still, I only got 3+ inches of snow here at Swamp River Ridge . . . although the temperature is just 10 degrees this morning!  Ahhh, spring in northern Minnesota!  :)

Heading out on the "summertime" driveway.

The highway:  i-cy!!

Returned home last night to no power.  Snow and a very overcast day made for ZERO solar gain, and the batteries couldn't keep up with the unexpected drain due to the extra heat the house's thermostat was asking for.  Ah, well.  I'm used to all this now.  ;)

Howdy

Well, it's no big surprise that I didn't have a chance to check in after Sunday's snowstorm.  I'm still not completely dug out - not all the paths shoveled nor the solar panels completely uncovered (which doesn't really matter since we haven't had any sun, either!).

After plowing twice on Sunday, I again headed in to work with the plow truck on Monday morning.  I left 45 minutes early to accommodate the additional time it would require to plow the 4.5 mile winter driveway for the 3rd time in 24 hours.  Still, I was 45 minutes late to work!  Why?  Ummmm, check this out:

The main road was still unplowed!!!

So, I had to plow an ADDITIONAL 12 miles down to the highway!!!  And, truly, the depth of the snow (over 12") really wasn't the problem as far as plowing went . . . but it kept building up over the radiator of the truck!  That effectively knocked out the defrost inside the truck (couldn't see out the windshield!) AND threatened to overheat the engine.  So, I had to stop 3 times during that long, slow drive to try to chip away the snow now-melting-into-ice on the front of the grill & radiator!  Never a dull moment, eh?!

Here are three pictures out the kitchen window, showing the accumulation of Sunday's snow throughout the day:

1:35 PM

3:57 PM

8:45 PM

When I came in from the evening's plowing, I figured it was time for an Irish whiskey slushy made with that fresh snow.  I opened the front door to step out to the open entrance porch to scoop some of the white stuff, and . . .

The storm had blown in the screen door, and the snow was packed against the solid inner door!  Here, Dosie (Dead Cat) checks it out.  Obviously, I didn't have to go far to fill my glass with fresh snow!!

Meanwhile, Jinx, the baby, was having fun attacking my felted wool handwork bag.

And, with that, I've gotta get back to my day.  Happy Thursday!

Nuthin' Much

Today was a GLORIOUS day, and I hung out clothes for the first time.  Even spend a bit of time in the yard raking and pulling dead stuff away from the day lilies pushing up.  AND ran the hose to the chicken yard finally.  The geese were SO happy to be in their little (kiddie-pool-esque) pond again!

Other than that, I was sitting here at the keys, hurting my brain over a customer's old website that's written in FTP and which I need to make some changes to.  I.  Hate.  FTP.  Can't say it enough!

Tonight, I threw dinner's casserole into the oven and then headed out with the truck to see if I could get through on the back way yet.  Got a little farther than last time but not much.  Decided not to "push it", either, 'cause I didn't feel like walkin', and I knew I'd get stuck.

This was as far as I went.

Good thing, too, 'cause look how soft the dirt/mud is!

I felt the truck sink so much as I drove over this spot that I stopped to take a look.  Just super soft AND there is a culvert there that's dropping.

Able to drive all the way up to the trapper cabin (and assorted storage) now, I came back home and loaded up with 2x12s to rebuild the bridge on the winter driveway.  The cave-in is 3/4 of the way across now, so I'll need to span the gap underneath both sets of wheels instead of just the one.  I'm curious to see how the rest of the road is tomorrow!

Other than that, not much to report today.  Wish I could have been outside more, that's for certain!  Baby Girl's mama called me tonight to schedule a play date, and the little one got on the phone and said (she's just over 2 years old), "I miss you, Bopee!"  Awwwwww, that's the first time she's talked that clearly to me on the telephone!  (And I don't think she was coached, either!)

Anyway, trying to get a few more things done tonight before I toddle off to bed.  No more sleeping past the alarm:  I've got to try to get to town tomorrow!!  :)

File Under: I Put Makeup on for THIS?

I had a 5:00 meeting for the local arts festival last night.  I took my shower in the afternoon and put on makeup.  Got some images burned to a CD that a fellow artist needed, got my tablet & pen for note-taking all ready, asked the post mistress (and fellow photographer) to bring my mail to the meeting if I didn't make it to the P.O. by the time she left for it, and headed out.

And then the first bridge I drove over broke.  Underneath the front tire.  And the dogs and I all experienced a little loss of gravity as the truck sunk into the hole.

But, let's tell the story in the proper order.

I drove home a week ago tonight with no troubles.  Matter of fact, you can see exactly where the track of my wheels drove (at the sinkhole).  But on Friday morning, this is what I found.  For all I know, the impact of me driving over it may have caused it to finally break through as soon as I was across it!  If you enlarge the picture, you can see that even the moose was deterred as his/her tracks show an abrupt about-face!

A look-see told me that I had a solid 6" of so of hard-packed road gravel to drive on if I skirted around the edge . . . and so I did just that.  V-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.  So, out on Friday?  Check.

That night, before heading home from town, I'd stolen a 2x8 from Papa Pea in case I needed to bridge the culvert sink-hole on my way back in.  Which was good because I DID need to use it.  (I had plenty of bridge building materials at home at Swamp River Ridge, but I was a little concerned about getting there!)

Here's my little car with the 2x8 and Maisy studiously ignoring the camera.

On Saturday, I knew it was time to see if I could possibly get through on the summertime route (10 miles long and not plowed).

I got this far, about 3/4 of a mile from home, before getting stuck.

I shoveled and shoveled and spread ashes . . . but the snow was just too wet and icy for me to get traction.  So, I gave up and hoofed it home . . . also knowing that the snow would (probably) be melted within a day or two enough for me to drive right out.

Once I got home, and knowing I would have to continue to use the wintertime driveway (until the snow melted more), I headed back down with the car and more bridge materials.

Here's a shot of the "bridge" I'd been using up until this point.  But, the hole was getting wider, and I knew my 2x8 wouldn't suffice forever.

Wider AND deeper!  Note the 2x at the top.

It was time for a bigger, better, stronger White Trash bridge:  a solid (HEAVY!!!) old door.

Voila:  new, sturdier bridge!  (Nuthin' but class around here; nuthin' but class!)

So, that bridge served me perfectly well . . . and my visitors (as I wrote in my previous post)!  Then came the prediction for more snow, though.

So, on Tuesday, the dogs and I hoofed it back out to the stuck truck as the snowflakes began to fall.

My Monday visitors were right:  I could drive it right out!

And then the snow came Tuesday night.

I took this picture yesterday morning.  Looks like a B&W one, doesn't it?!

Tucker surveys the 5 new inches of snow.  Maisy was too disgusted and so didn't even go outside for her morning visit.

There was too much slippery, wet snow to drive the car through, so I had to drive the truck.  Which brings us back to the present . . . to yesterday.

The door I'd used as the new bridge weighed 150 lbs., I'll betcha.  I mean, I had to WRESTLE that thing into and out of the car!  It was "solider" than solid!

Buuuuuuuut, not quite solid enough for the weight of a 1-Ton with a 9' Plow!

#*!@

Which led me to ask one of my office building-mates to stick this on my office door this morning:

Chicken Mama Designs

is Closed Today

I’m home-bound due to deteriorating road conditions.  Once this last snowfall melts, I’ll be able to drive out.  I think!

I hope (?) to be able to make it in on

Saturday & Sunday, the 30^th & 1^st.

In the meantime, I’m working from home.

You can reach me there at:

chickenmama@-------------

or (---) ---------------.

Thank you for your patience & understanding!

And, with that, I'll sign off.  It's taken me the entire day just to get this post written!  (Oh, and yes, I was able to get the truck out and home!)

Finally, A Bit of a Moose Video!

Just Another Challenge

Just another challenge . . . and it will keep the riff-raff out.  ;)  As I swung off the main road last night and turned onto my winter driveway, I came to a screeching halt.  This sign was planted firmly in the middle of the road:

ROAD CLOSED!!

Ohhh-kay, then!  Hmph!  Well.  Umm, yah.

I got out and read the legal mumbo-jumbo notice.  Yup, road is closed due to deteriorating conditions (I coulda told 'em that a WHILE ago).  Matter of fact (continuing to read), driving on the road is a MISDEMEANOR!  "Scr*w THAT," I thought, "I'm goin' HOME!"  But, I read further:  "Chicken Mama, a conditional use permit has been sent to your mail box."  (Damn straight it has!)


Anyway, more later.  I'm just now FINALLY in the office.  Got 6" last night (not the 4" I'd thought it was before I'd gone out to do chores), and we're scheduled for up to 7" more this afternoon / evening . . . which means I might head home early tonight and probably WON'T battle heading into the office tomorrow.


So, if I'm home at a decent time tonight, I'll get back to you!

A Bad Bedtime Cocktail

God gawd, I feel trampled on this morning.  I had SUCH active, detailed, emotional dreams ALL night long that I am absolutely exhausted.  What brought on these acid flashbacks?  I have NO idea!  Perhaps it was the cocktail and snack I had before bed.  Are you ready? (Don't try this at home!)  While relaxing and cleaning up and folding laundry between getting home and going to bed, I consumed 3 mugs of Silver Tea* and a small handful of raw almonds.  Yep, that was it.  But, apparently, it was a horribly nasty combination!

* I was introduced to Silver Tea several years ago by the daddy of one of "my" little ones who I used to nanny.  He said that his mother (grandmother?) always drank it, and now it was an after-dinner favorite of his.  I've come to like it, too:  sometimes (like last night!) it seems just right!  Here are the ingredients (got a pen & paper?):  pour boiling water into a mug.  Add a dash of air and a handful of love.  Consume.

* * * * *

I took a drive out the winter driveway on Wednesday evening in preparation for heading into town yesterday:  was wondering if I had to do any quick road construction work or throw down an impromptu bridge.

Soooo far, I can still either bridge the cracks or s-l-o-w-l-y ease myself down into (yes, in the tiny Yaris) and then out of the wider ones.  There is one bad spot that, when we get a sizable rain, will wash away too much for me to squeak around:  then I'll have to load the pickup with gravel and refill a portion of it.

This one's deep but narrow.  So far, I can drive over it.

This is a current view of the header image.

This is the bad spot that I can still squeeze around but which will, eventually, require some work on my part.  It's hard to tell here, but these little crevices are at least a foot deep.

I can't expect any help from the state (my winter driveway is a state forestry road) or ANYONE with big machinery (even anyone I might hire) until the road restrictions are lifted.  This will mean waiting until May 13th, the shortest time that the limits will be on, or, potentially, June until I can expect outside help.

Looking south from the bridge.  The river's opening up early this year!

From the bridge looking north.  The water's roilin'-boilin'!

And, with that, I'll sign off.  I have an early appointment with a client this morning.  Cold temperatures again:  13 degrees yesterday morning and 17 this morning.  3-6" of snow predicted for tonight.  Sigh.  ;)

Monday's Late Season Snowstorm

This post is now in its third incarnation.  I started it on Monday (I think?), wrote the bulk of it this morning and am just now finishing it 12 hours later, tonight.  Yeesh.

I'll also both preface and add to it by saying that I couldn't BELIEVE the amount of melting that went on today!  Wowzer:  inches and inches!  This being the winter of heaviest (most) snow since living here at Swamp River Ridge, I haven't had to go mud-boggin' just to get out to the main road . . . until this morning.  Yep, there is one spot that is so soft that I was actually spinnin' my wheels, trying to get up the hill.  A lot of sinkholes are forming in places I've never before seen them, too.  I'm keeping my eyes on 'em and starting to plan for the day I find one too huge to drive around . . . or a culvert washed out.

Annnnnd, with that, I'll finally finish this darn post!  Tonight's ramblings are in blue.

* * *

Oh, but plans are meant to be foiled, aren't they?  No, no, it wasn't anything big, but I was planning on jumping up this morning with the first chirp of the alarms to go out and get at least an hour of woodwork in before heading into town for the office.  Instead, I woke up half an hour ago . . . and I should leave in half an hour.  (Not gonna make it, am I?)  And, I feel a bit like I've been run over by a truck.


I blame it on the dogs.  For the past FEW nights, they've been asking to go out around 1:00 / 1:30 AM.  Then, Maisy (or Tucker) barks incessantly.  Maybe it's the raccoon?  Maybe one of last fall's leaves fell from a tree.  The times I've gone out to listen, I can't hear a thing.  So, by the time they're barking to be let in, I am in a bark-induced coma of sleep.  Generally, that means that I don't get up to let them in until morning . . . but I know I must be sleeping with one ear open because I'm waking up just BEAT!  (Yeah, yeah, I know there's all that emotional stuff kicking around in my brain, too.)


An-y way . . . .


Here are the pictures I took of Sunday night's into Monday morning's late season snowstorm.

The view out the front door.  Can't even see the bright red of the little car in front of the garage, can you?

The view out the side door.  Granted, it *WAS* beautiful, but that snow weighed as much as wet cement!

The white stuff was so wet that it didn't take long to slide off the roof.

The open yard in front of the garage is . . . where?!

My woodpile was FREE of snow before this.  (Sob!)

This picture & the one below:  the view down into the valley from behind the garage.

WHAT valley?!

8" (nearly) of heavy, wet cement.

Poor Tucker:  the snow was halfway up his ribcage.  He always reminds me of The Little Engine That Could when he has to plow through deep (to him) snow:  "I think I can, I think I can!"

Because there had been so much melting BEFORE this snowfall, the banks at the sides of the winter driveway were lower than usual.  Sooooooo, as I was plowing Monday morning, there were places where I couldn't tell WHERE the road WAS!  (Like here.)

I haven't (ahem, hadn't) gotten stuck once while plowing all winter (a first).  (And, no, getting "stuck" on the driveway does NOT count!)  However, due to my previous picture illustrating how I couldn't see where the damn road WAS . . . I drove off it!  Of course, I was all dressed for work with my hair and makeup done (for once) when it happened.  Sigh.  FORTUNATELY, I still had the bucket of ashes in the back of the truck, so . . . much shoveling + liberal application of ashes . . . and I was out and back on my way.

Those of you who watched the video already know this, but the main road, once I got out to it, was in just as bad shape as the winter driveway was.  And, actually, there was MORE snow here:  10-12".

But, my GAWD, what a difference the Big Lake makes!  This is what I found when I got down to the highway!  Who woulda believed it!?  I think the conditions we experience here "down by the lake" and "up over the hill" are comparable to towns at the base of mountains.  The weather can be innocuous down in the valley, but climb up to one of the passes, and it's another story, entirely!

On a Lighter Note!

THANK YOU, friends, for all your kind words and wonderful advice following yesterday's post.  And, thank you to those of you who wrote personal e-mails to me, too.  What a wonderful eCommunity you are!  And, I will respond to all your comments . . . as soon as I have the energy to revisit that stuff.  For now, I don't want to "ruin" my lovely morning with more time spent there.  I know you understand, and for that, TOO, I appreciate YOU!

On a much, much lighter note, Swamp River Ridge was DUMPED on Sunday night with a late season snow.  I got 8" here but there's a different micro-climate just 2 miles down the winter driveway, and there was definitely 10-12" there.  I should probably post the pictures I took, first, but here's the video once I was out on the main road . . . which was in no better shape than my road.  Our wonderful county plower must be on vacation, and so the road wasn't plowed yet.  I finally met the substitute plow guy near the bottom of the gravel, and, while I was glad to see him, let me tell you:  he doesn't hold a CANDLE to the usual pro!  ;)


Anyway, here ya go.  Enjoy!

Good (uuuugggggh) Morning

I'm feeling kind of beat up today.  Emotionally & physically.  Back in college, I was diagnosed with chondromalacia of the patella tendons (those are the tendons that run vertically, right underneath your kneecap), and lordy, have they been acting up lately!  There never seems to be any rhyme or reason to it - weather, stress, I dunno.  Anyway, whine, whine.

Yesterday was the funeral for a young, very well known man in our community.  He was 29 years old but didn't look a day over 17.  He'd fought Addison's disease his whole life, and complications from it, in conjunction with the flu, got him.  We can hope he never felt a thing, though:  his dad found him unconscious in his apartment, and he was already in a coma that he never awoke from when they arrived at the hospital.  Severe brain swelling caused massive damage that was irreversible, and they took him off life support a week ago yesterday.  He was an organ donor, and the hospital was able to find SIX (yes, SIX) families / donors to receive his healthy organs.  His family can take some small comfort in knowing that he will live on in the history of those families for generations to come.

The departed being the son of the much-loved owners of the local coffee shop, the church was jam-packed, and folding chairs were brought out to fill the aisles.  As funerals go, it was a lovely one . . . but, of course, so, so sad.  My Girl and I sat together, sniffling and wiping away tears the whole time.

The only other "up" side to the whole situation, besides the organ donations, is that the entire community really rallied around these folks, and I know they've wanted for nothing physical, be it meals or menial tasks done.  There was a meal sign-up sheet at the coffee shop, and My Girl took one of those slots.  I was trying to think of something *I* could do to help out and came up with thank you cards.  I know they have been inundated with well wishes, and I remember slogging through the thank yous following the ex's mom's funeral.  So, I'm in the final stages of making up 50 of them for the family, complete with return address and stamps on the envelopes.  All they'll have to do is write their personal note and seal the envelope.

Happily, I was able to end yesterday on a good note:  friends were up to their cabin from the Cities (last week's 40th birthday girl and her husband).  They are aunt and uncle to The Peanut, and so I drove out to the Peanut's house last night after work, and we all had a lovely evening together.  The Peanut's mama is just 12 days away from her projected due date with Little Brother, and so the aunt and uncle did all the food preparation, and it was DELISH!  There were homemade jalapeno poppers (sans the breading since they were) grilled outside for appetizers; a wonderful, fresh spinach salad with bleu cheese, dried cherries, walnuts, and green apple; and made-to-order Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches (chicken for yours truly since I don't eat steak) finished off on the grill, too!  The hubby (uncle) made everything but the salad, and even tho I've known him my whole life, I didn't know he could cook so well!  It was fantastic, and he can make that meal ANY time I'm around, thank you very much!  :)

Auntie and The Peanut's mama and I were put in "time out" frequently during the evening by the 3 1/2 year old Peanut (fortunately, we didn't have to leave our chairs).  There was no good reason for it, so I stuck my tongue out at The Peanut.  When she gave me the expected, "Hey!  That's naughty!" look, I said, "Well, if I'm gonna be in "time out" then I should deserve it!" ;p


After the lovely evening, I headed back into town (they're on the other side of it) and to my office.  Spent about 15 minutes closing up there, and headed for home just after 11:00.

Going back to the evening with friends, The Peanut's mama had called me earlier in the day to express concern over me making it in their long driveway (with the Yaris) due to the road conditions.  She wanted me to park out on the main road and call for a ride in (in one of the trucks).  I assured her that it couldn't be worse than my road and, to quell her protests, promised to stop if I got to a spot that looked risky . . . instead of attempting it and potentially getting stuck.  Being a bit more shaded than my road, their driveway did have a little more slushy snow to slog through, but I rolled right up to their house as I anticipated.  She was surprised that the little car could do it, and I said, with a smile, "Well, we [the car & I] do 4 1/2 miles of that twice a day!"

And, with that, I'll sign off for now.  It's snowing out, and we're supposed to be having a storm with 8-11" of white stuff accumulating.  I HOPE that doesn't happen, but, if it does . . . c'est la vie!  That's life!

I'm Up!

I woke up 45 minutes BEFORE the alarm this morning at 6:00 on the dot.  How's THAT for a change?  Problem is . . . I can't take credit for it.  Nope, it was all Maisy.  I was awoken to that repeated sound of "heeeave, THUD; heeeave, THUD" (gut against rib cage) as she experienced the dry heaves before womitin' on the library carpet.  What a wake up call.

THEN, as I was rushing downstairs to let her out in the pre-dawn gloom, I damn near KILLED myself because some IDIOT left their (okay, "her) black engineer boots perfectly spaced about 4' in front of the door!  I b-a-r-e-l-y got my arms out in time to prevent a face-plant against the solid front door.  Grumble, grumble, "stoopid . . . ."


Ah, well.  But, I'm up, and my first cup of coffee's almost gone.

SO, my new header picture.  Well, no, my most recent dog-sitting-on-baby header picture.  DIDN'T ANYONE ELSE THINK THAT WAS HILARIOUS????  No one said anything about it!  But, I have a theory:  maybe it was because you were all afraid that *I'd* taken the picture - that it was from one of my nannying days!  And you were collectively thinking, "Ummmm, remind me never to hire Bopee to watch MY kid!"  HA!  Rest assured:  I found that gem on the Internet.  :)


The sun was splendidly warm yesterday but it was still awfully cool in the shade.  But, late in the day, before attacking the woodpile, I took the dogs for our first walk down to the river.  Our first walk since Daylight Savings Time has allowed us late light.  And since the snowmobiles aren't running up and down the road with such frequency.

Halfway down the driveway is the garden.  Or, what someday will be the garden.  It's s-t-a-r-t-i-n-g to surface, but you can't see the 3' high fence around it yet, so there's that much snow yet to melt!

The hill at the base of the driveway has become manageable since the sun is melting away the snow & ice.

THIS hill, though, is the problem now.  It's the last hill that I must crest to get to my driveway.  During our excursion yesterday, I walked the packed snowmobile trail because it allowed me traction that the road did not.  I don't know if you can tell by this shot or not, but the hill is pure, glare ice!

Coming down the snowmobile trail to the bridge.  There's a short stretch here where we all share the road.  I'm taking nasty, selfish glee in the fact that there's now a HUGE puddle right over the bridge that the machines must slog through.  ;)

Hang on, the generator just popped on.  That means I need to take advantage of it and get yesterday's last batch of laundry into the dryer.  And a new load of dirties into the washer.

Maisy, checking out the south side of the bridge.  Because of the Laurentian Divide, water flows NORTH here.  Yup, it's true!  So, even though this LOOKS like it's pooling out . . . the water's actually flowing from left-to-right in this shot.

Looking farther south down the river.

And, with that, our field trip will have to end today.  Must get going.  More tomorrow??