It was a cold, cold winter! The pipes out here froze twice. Once for 3 days and for 2 days a week later. The floors definitely need to be sealed, as I had to keep my feet swaddled, and mostly up off the floor, too, for most of the bad weather. The cold would just seep in.
Some things to remember if the weather man says the word ‘freezing’. Go fill up the bathtub. That’s right, folks. Fill up the bathtub. The reason to do this is that if it does freeze and you don’t have any water….you can get a bucket of water out of the tub and pour it rather briskly right into the toilet bowl and the toilet will flush itself. Never forget this. If you have little ones, be sure and keep the door closed, so we don’t have any drownings! Also fill up all your pitchers, big jugs, whatever you have at your house, to have water for cooking and teeth brushing and such. Just in case. If the pipes don’t freeze you are out one tub full and a couple of gallons of water. If it does freeze, you have the bases covered.
I went out during one of the frozen pipe days, to make sure water wasn’t spewing out from some outside source, and discovered the skirting on the house where all the pipes are was missing. Well, it was too cold to be hunting for and putting up that metal, but there were numerous 5 gallon buckets scattered around the backyard here at the cabin, some full of ice. So I stacked them up along the opening to block some of the frigid air blowing under there, stacked the ones full of ice in front of those so the wind wouldn’t make light of my efforts, and corralled the rest of the buckets and lids while I was out there.
I went out during one of the frozen pipe days, to make sure water wasn’t spewing out from some outside source, and discovered the skirting on the house where all the pipes are was missing. Well, it was too cold to be hunting for and putting up that metal, but there were numerous 5 gallon buckets scattered around the backyard here at the cabin, some full of ice. So I stacked them up along the opening to block some of the frigid air blowing under there, stacked the ones full of ice in front of those so the wind wouldn’t make light of my efforts, and corralled the rest of the buckets and lids while I was out there.
Notice the wheelbarrow full of sticks. That load was just stuff I would pick up that was in my way. Just wait until you see what I found when I got busy on those sticks!
Spring finally sprang, and it was green, green grass growing all around, all around, yes, the green grass grew all around.
(Where the black widow spiders and the scorpions live. I will wait until I have a rake or some other tool before I finish cleaning that area!)
One fine day, with the sun shining, birds singing and grass growing, I decided I’d best get out there and clean up the lawn before summer bears down on us, so I started picking up the sticks scattered throughout the yard. Here are pictures of some of the loads I carted off. I counted 8 before I was through - or as through as I could get at the time. I did NOT get these loads all done in one day, but rather through the course of Spring.
From the gate to way out there to the wood pile seems flat in this picture.
It isn’t. Landlady owns a dog that loves to dig. That particular puppy spent quite a bit of time out here when the soap shop was in house. There are holes everywhere. So pushing a wheelbarrow full of these sticks could get a little bouncy-swervy. We prevailed, though. If it ever starts raining again, I must have a bonfire party, I swear!
I didn’t take pictures of all the mowing that went on, but one day the lawnmower died…and so did her machine. Actually, I’m proud to report I didn’t die; however, my arm decided it would not pull the rope another time hard enough to start the mower. I just left the lawnmower there, sort of a monument to the number of times I did get it going. Perhaps one day I will try again.
It was during these wonderfully mellow days of Spring that I went up and opened the windows at each end of the attic room. Let the heat out, the breezes in. The barn cats have shredded the door screens, so I can’t leave the doors open during this mild temperature season, but I can get some fresh air circulating! Of course, Landlord did warn me of creatures settling in the attic, but I haven’t seen a wasp or bee anywhere, so maybe I am safe.
Meanwhile, in another life, I have taken a full-time job as well as my part-time job at the soap factory. It isn’t easy juggling everything, but time to start working inside this old cabin. Spring is getting hotter.
I’m going to tackle the bathroom next. Watch for the reports on that project!
Meanwhile, in another life, I have taken a full-time job as well as my part-time job at the soap factory. It isn’t easy juggling everything, but time to start working inside this old cabin. Spring is getting hotter.
I’m going to tackle the bathroom next. Watch for the reports on that project!
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