It's a Baffin Boot Day

Snow Day!
I feel really bad for the school kids,
because it's vacation week.

These are my Baffin Boots.
My Brother-In-Law, also known as Homefries, gave them to me.
What a nice gift.  I love 'em.
They're perfect for this kind of weather.

No way we're going anywhere without clearing the driveway,
particularly with Mary's car.
The winter has been so mild I never put the snowtires on.

A month's worth in one day.

Over a foot and still coming.

Halfway there, but still a lot to do.
My trusty little single-stage snowblower is working like a champ!

Done with the driveway.

There was a time when I lifted the snowblower up onto the front steps.

Just finished, and almost time to start anew!
Maybe later.

Not plannin' on grillin' tonight.

Time for me and my hoodie to warm up.

The Baffin Boots were superior.

BUT OH, NO!  WHAT IF THE SNOW JUST DOESN'T STOP

AND WE'RE STUCK HERE FOR DAYS?!?

I think we're gonna be alright.

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.

Blizzard !!!

INCOMING

When the cold wind comes from the north across Lake Ontario, we get lots of snow in Rochester, NY.

Did you ever wonder what the birds do when the snow is blowing in like it will never stop?

They come to our feeders, of course.

Mr. Cardinal always brightens a snowy day.

Mrs. Cardinal respects the decision of the Mourning Dove
to perch on the leeward side.

Needs a shave.

"Our turn out of the wind."

The male is more striking, but the subtle varied colors of the female
are exceptionally beautiful.

And you thought woodpeckers only ate bugs.

This Cooper's Hawk is also happy we feed the birds.

The guy across the street halfway through a brazen display of youth.

Lots of work to dig out, but undeniably pretty.

The Mourning Dove finds a windless perch amid the beauty.

Time to go to bed and let it blow itself out.

AFTERMATH

The next day

Mrs. Cardinal doesn't mind that the wind blew the lit off the feeder.
Could be time to think about a little maintenance.

The impressive showing of muscle and determination across the street
is making me look bad.

Lots of junk that hasn't moved itself to the recycling bin.
No, not the snowblower, although most would say it is a valid candidate.
I had to bring it in so it would unfreeze itself.

What's wrong in this picture?
We heard a "BANG!" in the middle of the night, but I found nothing after searching the house.
Duct tape didn't work.
The guy who came to replace it said that they're only rated for 15000 trips.

After digging out.
Yeah, I should have used the roof rake to take down the drift first,
But it looks so great up there.
That's our Christmas Tree on the left...not quite at the curb yet.

FUN

It's a sin to let the beautiful snow go to waste.

You know who hates the winter?  It's everyone who curses the snow for the extra work and laments the cold while their sweaters languish in their drawers.  They are deaf to the call of their skis.  And they don't remember the childish joy that only a snow day can bring.

Sculpted drifts in the grove of pines.

The sun lighting up the ice at a bend in the creek.

Knee deep snow made for a good workout while breaking trail.

This day, no worries about potential mishaps at the narrow bridge.
The snow was too deep to pick up any speed down the hill.

I think that I will never see,
a blog as lovely as a snow-clad tree.

The sun lights up the banks of the creek meandering into the distance.

The sun lightens the load on the cedars.
This time, the falling snow missed me.

Awaiting my next pass underneath.

Creekside crack in the snow.

Ya gotta embrace it.  Ya gotta get out into it.  Ya gotta love the winter and enjoy all that it brings, including the shoveling, and the slippery conditions and the cold.

Until March.  Then it's time to go here: