We knew it couldn't last forever but the drop in temperature surprised us. I think we had been lulled into a false sense that spring was just around the corner with the fairly warm first month of 2014. January sailed by with nary a hint of what was happening in the rest of this country with their ice storms and daily accumulation of the white powdery stuff. Days on end when a quick trip outside warranted only the sweater I was wearing. The furnace remained silent as the electric heaters did the job. No need to burn the extra fuel if we don't have too.
Our little beach the
last couple of years hasn't yielded any treasures but it's always
good for a jaunt, stretch the legs, get some fresh air. The cat
surprised me by joining the walk, something she hasn't done in quite
a while. Must have been feeling a bit of cabin fever.We knew it couldn't last
forever but the drop in temperature surprised us. I think we had been
lulled into a false sense that spring was just around the corner
with the fairly warm first month of 2014. January sailed by with
nary a hint of what was happening in the rest of this country with
their ice storms and daily accumulation of the white powdery stuff.
Days on end when a quick trip outside warranted only the sweater I
was wearing. The furnace remained silent as the electric heaters did
the job. No need to burn the extra fuel if we don't have too.
Our little beach the
last couple of years hasn't yielded any treasures but it's always
good for a jaunt, stretch the legs, get some fresh air. The cat
surprised me by joining the walk, something she hasn't done in quite
a while. Must have been feeling a bit of cabin fever.We knew it couldn't last
forever but the drop in temperature surprised us. I think we had been
lulled into a false sense that spring was just around the corner
with the fairly warm first month of 2014. January sailed by with
nary a hint of what was happening in the rest of this country with
their ice storms and daily accumulation of the white powdery stuff.
Days on end when a quick trip outside warranted only the sweater I
was wearing. The furnace remained silent as the electric heaters did
the job. No need to burn the extra fuel if we don't have too.
Our little beach the
last couple of years hasn't yielded any treasures but it's always
good for a jaunt, stretch the legs, get some fresh air. The cat
surprised me by joining the walk, something she hasn't done in quite
a while. Must have been feeling a bit of cabin fever.We knew it couldn't last
forever but the drop in temperature surprised us. I think we had been
lulled into a false sense that spring was just around the corner
with the fairly warm first month of 2014. January sailed by with
nary a hint of what was happening in the rest of this country with
their ice storms and daily accumulation of the white powdery stuff.
Days on end when a quick trip outside warranted only the sweater I
was wearing. The furnace remained silent as the electric heaters did
the job. No need to burn the extra fuel if we don't have too.
Our little beach the
last couple of years hasn't yielded any treasures but it's always
good for a jaunt, stretch the legs, get some fresh air. The cat
surprised me by joining the walk, something she hasn't done in quite
a while. Must have been feeling a bit of cabin fever.
It was inevitable I
suppose. Just as Punxsutawney Phil and Shubenacadie Sam were
scurrying back into their receptive lairs declaring 6 more weeks of
winter we awoke to our first frost.
Oh I certainly agree it's
nothing to get excited about, “Try a couple feet of snow” your
thinking but this light coating means the temperature has dropped
enough to hit the freezing point and for us that could very well mean
that somewhere along our water lines that run mostly above ground
they are no longer in a liquid state.
Yep, turned on facet
and ....nothing. Does one get upset or wonder what now? Nope.
Here at the OP you live
and learn (well hopefully you've learned) so a backup supply of water
is waiting in the wings. I'm no stranger to heating up water for
dishes and lugging bottles into bathrooms for the toilets and of
course there is our old standby bucket for “quick” showers.
This is where shutting
down the genny every night pays off and the reason we religiously do
it. The fuel saved is now used as we keep things running and warm in
the lodge 24/7 till this cold spell breaks.
It's an ironic situation.
I only have hot water several times a week to save fuel and now that
the furnace is on all the time and I could indulge myself with
turning on a tap just for the heck of it to feel hot water come out,
I can't I since the water lines are frozen. Sort of a catch 22.
February 14th
and we're still feeling pretty chilly. Lines remain frozen and the
water reserves are dwindling but that doesn't stop me from making
Mike's request of a coconut cream pie for our special dinner. After
all one still has to eat.
Whoohoo! Rain.
At this point I love rain. Rain means warmer temperatures and
hopefully the lines will thaw. You could say we got a lucky break.
Each time the line freezes there will be a section somewhere that has
come apart under the pressure. Lucky for us this time the break
was more or less out in the open so readily found once the water
started to flow. Didn't take more than an hour to right everything
and once again we were back in business.
Not one to
pass up an opportunity I set up several garbage cans along the side
decks of the lodge to catch run off from the roof and refill all the
containers that we've depleted.
Remember the
year I had to go under the crew shack to collect water?
For 2 days it rains. For
2 days I put on my raincoat and scoop water. For 2 days we have water
once again. For 2 days I do laundry, shower, wash floors, shower.
I've come to the
conclusion that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow could very
well be Port Louis.
Nothing lasts forever.
All good things come to an end. Nothing stays the same.
And so we are once again
experiencing freezing temperatures. We are prepared.
Maybe it was because we
were prepared that the boiler decided to throw a wrench into the mix.
It'll fire up but won't circulate the water which gets pumped through
the radiators. We'll have to wait now till things warm up for Mike to
do what he does to try and fix things, which he is usually successful
at. No worries, there is plenty of wood around and we do love a fire.
Below zero seems to go
hand in hand with cloudless skies. Never have we had so many perfect
days, not a hint of a low lying stratus or a wisp of a cirrus
formation.
You can almost imagine
there is a thin layer of ice being responsible for this perfectly
still refection.
My new source of
water...for now.
Another very frosty
February morning.
Till next time,
Heather & Mike
