With lots of salt on the door sill. Although it isn't sea salt, but just plain old table salt. When I went to let Nick out this morning, the back door was frozen shut. Picture a border collie who really has to GO...but the door won't budge. It wasn't pretty. I thought that snow had blown up on the porch, as it was a windy, wild one last night. However, ice had built up on the wooden sill and sealed the screen door solid.
I beat and kicked it until the dog could shoot out as if fired from a cannon and got out the salt.
Guess I am as ready as I am going to be for another freezing day of things breaking and men cranking around like their butts were on fire. Tractors that won't start. Chains on the skid steer breaking. Flat tires and broken bearings on the feed cart......Ah, I just love winter.
However, I discovered an odd thing yesterday. For years, at least once a year, I have washed nasty black film off the three 4'X8' living room windows. I love those windows for watching wildlife, birds, the river, the sky...it is like living on the edge of the outdoors.
However, washing them is an absolutely miserable job involving either a ladder or cloths tied to a broom and moving lots of plants and furniture. They were looking pretty grim yesterday and we are trying to clean up a bit for prospective company, so I thought to undertake the Stygian task. For some reason I thought to try to removing the gunk with a dry towel rather than liquid cleaner etc. And voila! They sparkled. (or at least they sparkled enough to suit me). Happy dance and all. Having them clean makes the whole room look better.
*****Anybody have any good ideas for what I can use to fill in those bullet holes? They were caulked with some kind of hard stuff like window putty but it is all falling out and the breeze is somewhat less than necessary this time of year.
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7 comments:
Hi Maryann,
Enjoyed your post, as always :)
I hope today is a better day on the farm. It's tough enough without breakdowns and cranky men!
About the bullet holes; have you tried the spray foam insulation? I used it on the outside and it works great. The expansion of this stuff is incredible. You could probably sand or scrape it flat once is has dried.
Have a great weekend -
Deb
Just a wee bigger caliber of bullet? :)
Sorry, couldn't resist. :-)
I have not yet ventured out, but I will, shortly. At least the sun is shining, and that makes it pretty, if blinding.
Did you see the news about the herd of Scottish Highland cows that got loose and wandered around Glenville?
OK. I'm highly intrigued by your new window cleaning process.
You mean you didn't apply windex to the glass? Just buffed with with a dry towel?
Back to ice. As much as I hate the cold - I love the photos you're getting. I'm glad you liked mine :0)
It must be so hard working outside with equipment. Brutal. Can't blame 'em for feeling cranky.
Poor dog having to wait like that....when ya got to go you GOT to go. You should be able to get some sort of acrylic filler that works on bullet holes......I'd like to see the look on the hardware guys face when you tell him what it's for;)))))
Until things warm up a mite, I suggest some old-fashioned rope caulk, rolled into a ball and shoved into the hole (the spray foam must be done above 50°F to set).
I had a similar scene this morning - dog doing the two=legged "Got To Go Jig" and the trailer door was frozen shut. Once I'd beaten it into submission, he just looked at the snow even with the door and said "You got to be kidding me." (We're two foot off the ground. Fifteen inches of snow on top of the 9 inches we already had). Spent a goodly amount of time beating on ice this afternoon in and around the door frame.
Hi Deb, thanks for the idea. We haven't tried that yet, but it certainly is a possibility. We use it for so many other things. Hope you are staying warm with the temp going so low up there. Brrr
Jinglebob, that might work! lol, but it is already kinda drafty.
June, stay warm! The boss said something about the highlanders, but I forgot to follow up on it. thanks for reminding me as it sounds like quite a story.
Cathy, the stuff that gets on the window is weird. I am thinking maybe it is dust mixed with moisture from the air, not like the usual gunk on windows. I was astonished that it just wiped right off with a thick towel, after all those years of it being a massive undertaking! Stay warm!
LInda, that would be a good thing if we can find something...might be clean, which the stuff that has been in there is not
Wil, I am going to try that, as it certainly is not warm where those windows are. I have been trying to think of something, which, as you suggested, can be rolled into a ball and stuck in the divots. I don't want to break the window, but I would like to stop the balmy breezes. Stay warm!
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