The past couple of weeks, my baby brother, whom you will see in the comments every now and then as Mappy, has been giving Alan and me slab wood for the stove. (His real name is Matthew, but our lovely Lithuanian landlady who owned the building where the antique shop was when we were little kids called him Mappy because that was the best she could do with it. She was a dear and it stuck..... I've forgotten why he calls me Fred but he does.)
Anyhow, the slabs of hemlock extras off his saw mill have been great. We have blocks of elm half again the size of my torso, but it is hard to get them going good. The soft wood fires them right up and we have great heat. Yesterday he called and wanted us to come up so we set off in perfectly fine weather to pick up a load and to see the new barn he and his wife are building. By the time we got there it looked like this.
It got worse and worse. We ended up only being able to go 15 mph on his road and about 30 on the state road. We got home in freezing sleet and drizzle and pounding snowy ice balls that stung when they hit your face. Still the house is toasty warm even this early in the morning and I know it will stay that way.
Thanks Mappy, (and Lisa) we love you!
I don't envy your ride in that mess! When we lived in VT my Dad had a sawmill. I worked on that mill for years and we burned and sold slabwood. He sold the mill when we moved here and we sure miss it.....nothing like having a board around when you need one.
ReplyDeleteGlad you all made it home safe and sound.
Brrrr, and ahhhh - nothing like a nice fire. I'm always amazed our weather is usually the opposite. It was near 60* degrees yesterday! It won't last, but we'll take all we can get. :)
ReplyDeleteWe watched the Bronco game in New York and I couldn't help but think of you. The weather was a mess. Terry and I were wondering if you ever got your corn out. You know how it is with farmers, we all hope and cheer the other guys on. One of the farmers down the road is still trying to harvest his corn, the contractor left the cover off the semi trailer so all the rain we got this week end went right onto the loaded semi full of corn. Had Terry stress OUT just seeing it sitting there in the field.
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Looks pretty fresh in your neck of the woods! Mappy, tell us about Fred! Please.
ReplyDeleteOh, drive careful eh!
ReplyDeleteI had to go to over south yesterday, and for some odd reason, decided to go early. It started snowing before I got there, and was coming down pretty good by the time I got home. BUT ... I was snug as a bug when it turned to nasty sleet and freezing rain.
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it home safely.
You are tough people up there, dealing with sleet and snow and heating the house with truckloads of wood. My hat is off to you! My only concern here in central Georgia is wanting a few more years from my central heat and air unit... and praying for a few "snow days" with time off work.
ReplyDeleteChilly, but not by your standards here.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures just shout cold and damp!
DEb, it was REALLY hairy! We found out later that one of Alan's friends totaled his truck in the same storm. He wasn't hurt thank God!
ReplyDeleteNita, we had a nice day yesterday in the aftermath of the storm. That is all changing today though
Linda, thanks so much for thinking of us. we only have a few loads out yet, but the mud and snow is making it really hard to get. I wish it would get done. I told my husband I won't cut his hair until the corn is done and he is getting pretty shaggy.
Linda P, it is indeed getting to look a lot like winter...and he probably will if he gets on. lol
akagaga, I am really glad you got home before it hit. It was nasty! Really nasty!
Susan Rose, thanks so much for your kind words. We do get some winter up here, but I guess we are used to it. Hope you do get a couple days off...everybody can always use them. Take care
FC, it was a wild day! And of course the weatherfolk got it all wrong so we couldn't plan the day by the forecast. If it had gone as they predicted we would have been home with hours to spare before it hit.
What a beautiful area you live in!
ReplyDeleteI love to look at pictures but I'm afraid that ice and snow would freeze my Florida blood solid LOL Glad ya'll made it home ok!
Sandcastle, thanks, it is pretty and a lot wilder than folks expect for New York. It is getting way too cold for my taste, but winter seems to be an inevitable part of the equation so we will just shiver through.
ReplyDeleteTake care and thanks for visiting!
Fred, Fred comes from the zippy do da dog olympics. story thing we were building while writing to each other while I was stationed in korea. Fred you can add more.
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see you guys the weather was awfull though.We followed you guys down the mountian. tried to get oval pipe for the new kitchen stove.
Had a tuogh week at work, Philly SUCKS!!!!! Worse than NYC. In new york the pay makes it worth it.
Love ya
Mappy
Oh, yeah, the Doggy Doo Dah Olympics! I hadn't forgotten them of course, how could I? but I forgot that that is where Fred originated. We saw you behind us and felt bad about slowing you down, but that was as fast as we could go. What a nasty day! I was really relieved to make it home safely.
ReplyDeleteSorry things were so bad at work...love you too!