Well, all the house guest have left.

[George-CT]

Its a good thing they got out last night as they would not of flown out of here today. Major snow storm here now. I'll wait and plow it all out in the morning. Still blowing hard, and we are getting around 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Sure enjoyed having my daughter home for awhile. She is back in Charleston now and in 80 degree temps. She had forgotten how it can be up here in New England this time of year, and her blood has thinned. It don't look like she will be returning to Connecticut after she gets out of the Air Force in June. I was hoping she would come back north, but unless a major x factor kicks in, not likely. Oh well, nothing stopping us from going that way as long as the health holds up.

I see the horses out there staring at the house, so that means it must be feeding time by their clock, and mine. They seem to enjoy the snow as they were up under a bunch of trees all day when they could of stayed in the barn.

Guess we have a Nor-easter storm coming this Saturday also. As long as its snow, no problem, if it turns all this to wet snow and then the temps drop to the single numbers like they are saying, then we have a problem back here off the road. It don't move at all once it freezes....

So I see, lots of reading to do. Look like a herd of magpies passed thru here, and thats good.

Later George-CT

 

[Wayne in BC]

some feed out for the Magpies Kids always leave the nest but they never forget where it is.

 

[Ron J]

dealership lot since 3:00 and need to return in a few minutes. We don't want it building up to much. The perimeters are packed with high bankings already. Will be in the Loader tomorrow,and not looking forward to it... Hope the storm Sat. changes course!!

 

[George-CT]

Got a loose fan on the backhoe so need to fix that. Don't want it coming loose and going thru the radiator. So I'll plow it with my big International tractor. Big 584 diesel....It has the loader on front and I keep a grader on the back. Between them it gets the job done.
down side is no cab. Its 18 out there now so morning will be soon enough. The snow just stopped here and it looks like and honest 14 inches here with a fair amount of drifting as its a dry snow.

Like you I hope that nor-easter misses us of it it hits us, hits as snow, not rain and all this mess freezes up. I'm seeing single numbers in the forecast at night.

Do you truck the snow out of there or have a place to pile it up out of the way? This place gets like a bob sled run as it piles up along the driveway and freezes..... I move the electric fence back so I start by push it way off the road. Once it freezes hard, no way to push it behind it. the side walls just kick me back in the driveway. My son and all his buddies are out there now with their quads rasing heck on it, so I'm sure it will be packed down a lot tomorrow.

I have to admit it sure looks nice, but thats the first one, after that it looses that effect on you. I'm thinking about looking for a plow attachment to go on the farm Jeep Cherokee Wagon here. Be nice to plow with heat...... or is it a sign I'm getting old....

George-CT

 

[George-CT]

But they get busy with their own life and for me I don't see them as often as I would like. Then again, we teach them to stand on their own to feet, and then miss them when they do. With 5 of them scattered, sometimes they are hard to catch up with....

Staying warm here, so far not a problem. Like you well know, wood heats you many times, cutting it, splitting it, stacking it, moving it in the house to the wood stove. I sure like it better than feeding the Arabs my spending money.... Here she his humming away..... I set it up as Oil and wood, but you can make it gas, coal or electric. Pretty decent furnace. Down side is, I need a generator close by to run the fan for distribution of the warm air.

George-CT

 

[Sunny]

pops you furnace!! Did she bring her friend with her? Did you have the tree up in time? I know that was one of your goals. Hope you had a dang good visit! Stay warm and healthy!

 

[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

But it's still cold. As fast as these past months have whizzed by, winter might be bearable this time around. I'm hoping anyways. Stay warm George !

 

[George-CT]

the system here yet. They are on my laptop. Her friend saw here snow for first time and my daughter took her out for a 3 hour ride on the quad that night in the woods with my son and his girlfriend. She is not used to the cold, even though she was dressed well in one of my snowmobile suits etc. She was cold all the time here, just not used to the cold. I know she was happy to get back to the nice temps in Charleston, SC. We took her to what was still open here this time of year, but she was not interested in the ski slopes or horse back outdoors this time of year. I see my daughter Heidi is picking up the southern accent also. Hedi was glad to be home and see her brothers and sisters and school friends. She liked the tree, and we had done it up like she used to do with ornaments of horses and farm life for most part. I guess that brought back some nice memories for her. My wife really misses having her here. She was more than just her daughter, they were riding partners, camping partners on the horses and at horse shows and did a lot together. Jane flys down there a lot but its the other end of the scale quite often, to hot for Jane in Charleston.

George-CT

 

[david(tx)]

put enough wood in the furnace to last all night?

 

[VT Dave]

n/t

 

[Micheal_R]

Last night we went down to -2C or about 28 F. Some snow... but, as you say, the horses seem to like it. The two young males are all over each other with their playing. Rearing up one minute... down trying to bite each others knees the next.

We had to change the feeding system yesterday. One of the horses kept getting her foot caught in the haynets. We have used them for decades and never had problems. So I built a feeder and that problem is solved.

Calm seas

Mikie

 

[George-CT]

have a warm house already and cut the wood to fit the box. We cut a lot of small stuff, and use it early in the year, but for the cold nights in the dead of winter, we load it with 24 inch red oak. Better bed of coals, more btu's per piece of wood. At night we don't like it as hot as in the day, fact we usually set it for 60 to 65 depending on the temps out doors. If its zero, we set it higher as I have to sets of pipes in outside walls on the north face that I get concerned about. My burn times are pretty good. I can keep the house at temp for 12 hours, but it will be just coals when I get there, but enough to load it and will bring itself back with out turning the oil burner on to light the wood. What I normally do here now, is I heat the house and the basement all day with the wood. So everything is up to temperature. I can bank the furnace at 11:00 PM when I settle in for the night, set the oil to 60 degrees, and it seldom comes on before 8:00 the next morning unless its down around zero and stiff wind. We build thisplace for electric heat with 6 inch walls and extra insulation so I'm sure that helps a lot.

The wood is the primary heat source for this unit. Once the wood burns out, and the temp drops to what you set the oil at, it kicks in to maintain it. I like that as your only brining the place up 10 degrees at the most. I can hold the place at any temp I want. Heating the basement really makes the floors nice and warm and you can actually hold the temp down a few degrees and still be comfortable. We have 18 foot high ceilings in the living and dinning room so not heating the basement means holding the house at 72 to be comfortable. But yes, simple answer is you can load it twice a day only with large oak and get your 12 hour burn times. This unit is a 140,000 btu unit, they make a larger one, but this is fine for this place. I like it enough, that I bought a second one.
The first one lasted 20 years. I bought a new one 2 years ago because it now has stainless heat exchanger and fire box. I rewelded the old one where the problem is and that will be my heat in the garage. The only problem with the old one was a design flaw that let water if it came down the stack in the summer while it sat would eventually cause rust in a lot spot high up on the heat exchanger. I cut that out and re welded it and its ready for another 20 years. Very trouble free system.

Here is a link to their web site if you want to see all their units. They make it stand alone also for just wood or coal....

http://www.yukon-eagle.com/WoodFurnaceHOME/tabid/36/Default.aspx

George-CT

 

[George-CT]

If it pulls the moisture from the ocean right here it could be a wet mix or rain for awhile. That will make all this stuff freeze up as they are calling for 3 degrees that night and 7 the next. It happens here a lot and makes it hard to much of anything. Jane is thinking of taking the horses across the street to the indoor and leaving them there for the winter. Easier on the horses and us. We baby sit her place when they are off hydroplane racing so have 2 stalls for our own use if we want them.

I bet all the ski slopes up your way are happy. I know they are down here. A lot of them here did not have enough water stored to even make snow this year.

Geo-CT

 

[VT Dave]

n/t

 

[Royal]

I am down in Waterford for the holidays. It is 26 here. Where are the pictures of the snow buddy?? It was always fun to watch the horses in the snow

 

[George-CT]

I'll get more tomorrow of the horses etc before the next storm comes in tomorrow night. This next one has me concerned. We take a beating on those coastal storms as a rule. To bad its not rain and take all this away. We got buried. I spent the afternoon plowing the driveway and down to the barn. Heavy stuff. I'll move some pictures up tomorrow. Enjoy your holidays down in Waterford.

George-CT

 

[George-CT]

n/t

 

[david(tx)]

it's nice to have alternative heat sources,just have an electric furnace here.have a zero clearance fireplace but it's useless.

 

[VT Dave]

n/t