Zero Degrees

That's -18 for all you progressive Celsius types.

The Weatherman said that under no circumstances should anyone leave their house due to the extreme cold.  So of course, I had to go out and ski.

I have to respect the toughness of the birds,
and reward them with sunflower seeds.

Others benefit, too.

The snow has become so deep,
I had to dig out the gate so I could get into my big backyard.

The wind from the northwest almost made me reconsider the Weatherman's wimpiness.

The goal for the day.

An attractive group of tee-protecting ornamental grasses
has been provided by the golf course grounds crew.

The plants also provide a windbreak that creates drift art.

And the grasses are artistic all on their own.

I'm always fascinated by the shapes fashioned by the wind working with snow.

Yes, fascinated.

Do you catch my drift?

What's on the windward side?

More of the same, but different.

Time to head back.
Even with the mittens, my right thumb is freezing.
Having that hand out to manipulate the camera might have been a factor.

I stood in the lee of a vine-covered cedar and watched as the wind drove the snow.

Windswept snow or white sand beach?

Only my tracks.
Even the deer are hiding.

Another gust pushes the snow over the surface.

 It is difficult to convey the true experience.  Perhaps this video will help you enjoy this weather as much as I do.

My Little Snowblower

I have a small single-stage snowblower.  All of my neighbors have big macho machines with at least two stages that everyone says you need in our climate.  Balderdash!  My little machine does a great job almost all the time, and when the snow gets really deep, like it has been doing unusually often this year, I just take a little longer to send a half-as-wide swath off the driveway at a time.  

Another reason I have the little two-cycle single-stage machine is that I used to use one of those big monster two stage jobs when I lived with Mom and Dad.  The damn thing was forever breaking down, and half the problem was that the snowball-thrower stage never seemed to be in rhythm the lower Pac-Man stage.  I always had to carry a stick to clear the jammed ice and snow, because I enjoy having 10 fingers.  So I decided never to have such a complicated and unreliable beast.

Or maybe I'm just cheap.  The little one cost a good deal less.

The last time I used it, the snowblower told me it wasn't feeling well, and that I'd have to give it some attention before the next driveway clearing event.  Of course, the attention was not provided until the next blanket covered the region.  I took a snow day, never left home, and gave the little machine some tender loving care.

Yes, I bought it at Sears.  25 years ago.
Mary calls this the mud room, but it is actually the snowblower repair shop.

I feel some affinity for this machine.  It is small but effective.  It is powerful enough.  It does a good job, regardless of public opinion.  It is well past its prime, has served well, and doesn't owe anyone anything.  

I said affinity...not an exact match.

Looks like the handle attachment needs a little work.
Broke clean off.

The pull cord is looking a bit tired.
And those two wires?
Installed 12 years ago to allow me to turn the machine off.
Short out the spark plug and it stops.

The chute "holder-downer" would be under that snow if it was still in residence.
Happily, I found that the part was unnecessary 8 years ago.
In fact, the change of direction mechanism works better without it.

"Electric Starter - Push to Start"
That lasted about 1 year.  The solenoid was always frozen.
Pull cord is much more reliable.
But if you look closely, you can see my pull cord fix.
Just a knot to keep it from disappearing into the bowels when the tired spot breaks.
In regard to the handle, "Let it droop."  Motto for all aging machines?  

The auger was losing power, so it was time to inspect the drive belt,
which is encased on the right.

Oops!
Half the bolt came away with the nut.
Good to have more in the basement.

After taking off the cover and inspecting the belt,
it dawned on me that the tension on the belt was controlled by the lever on the handle.
The broken handle.

And I noticed this little thingamajig.
25 years of running this machine and I never noticed the belt tensioning gadget.
It was hidden inside a black plastic cover.
I thought it was the chrysalis of a plastic butterfly.

As long as things are apart,
might as well remove extraneous debris.

The replacement bolt in its new home.

And after some drilling and pawing through miscellaneous bolts,
a silver stabilizer is attached to the broken handle.
And they laughed at me when I saved the defunct garage door-opener part.

Three pulls, and away we went.
Worked the best it has in years.
Show your machines a little kindness,
and they'll repay you with good service,
if they're good machines.

Here in the north, we cover our cars with blankets to keep them warm.

I used to lift the snowblower up onto the front porch, but no more.

Love the way the snow takes on the door features.
Mary says I can't run the snowblower in the house,
so I had to shovel this part.

Another fun day with the snowblower, complete!

One last snowblower memory.  When I purchased it, I declined the extended warrantee.  It's not all that complicated a machine, and more often than not, I can fix such things on my own.  Like this time!

The salesperson's assessment of my abilities did not match my own, so even though I had declined, he called me to make sure that I understood that I was really missing out by failing to accept the 3-year service contract that would have cost me one third as much as the entire machine.  

It was prior to the time of caller ID, so the third time he called during the dinner hour, I was a bit frustrated.  "I really don't want you to miss out on this opportunity, Sir."

"So you say that I will get free service on the machine, right?"

"Yes, Sir, for the length of the service contract."

"And don't you think that if the machine breaks down, it will probably be during some big snow storm?"

"Well, I suppose that might happen."

"And if it breaks down in the middle of a blizzard, will you be coming out to my house to fix it?"

"Well, no.  You'll have to bring it in."

"So if it breaks down, it will probably be at a time when I need it the most, and I won't be able to get my car out of the driveway to bring it to you.  No, I don't think I want the service contract."

"But Sir, all the parts and labor will be covered."  It suddenly occurred to me that reason was not the way to get through to this person.

"Look.  Let me tell you what I'm going to do.  I am not going to purchase the service contract.  But should the snowblower cease to function during the 3 year period, I will bring it back to Sears, drop it at the front entrance, douse it with the gasoline I had hoped to use to clear my driveway, and set the piece of crap on fire."

In a higher pitched voice, he said, "Oh, no, Sir, you don't want to do that!"

"THEN STOP CALLING ME!"  SLAM!!!

I never heard from him again, and my snowblower and I lived happily ever after.