always at sea level: Frosty February

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.

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 14^th 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.