Baby, it's cold outside

     Well, it was inevitable. Winter finally arrived here on the hillside, and reminded us who really sets the schedule around here. Anne and I continued putting up insulation and strapping last Friday and Saturday, and moved along at a nice pace. We managed to get insulation on each side of the house, although no one side is fully done. But the insulation is a great help in keeping the Typar from blowing off the building, so it was important to get as much of it covered as we could. This we did, and on Saturday afternoon we battened down the hatches for the impending ice storm that was heading our way.
     The ice storm came, and work halted. It stormed Sunday and Monday, unfortunately making a three-day work weekend (due to MLK Day) disappear. Then came the sub-zero temperatures. Throughout the week, temps dipped into the negatives, without even counting the wind-chill factor. It is pretty hard to work in conditions like this, so more days missed. I finally got up to the site yesterday, to discover an ice palace. It looked sort of like The Fortress of Solitude form the Superman movies. I got out of the truck, and promptly fell on my ass. After doing that a few (15) more times, I realized that without a major thaw, setting up ladders is going to be a bit tricky. I grabbed a bucket and headed for the Town Barn to get some sand to spread around the house. Well, that was the plan. As not to make me look foolish and be the only one slipping around the hillside, my new truck decided it would join in and promptly slid sideways into a pile of downed trees. Luckily, no harm, except for my pride and mental well-being. But I was stuck, and after trying to extricate myself for a ½ hour, I gave in and called my neighbor Rick. He arrived with some sand and traction devices you put under the tires. Well, these failed, though not for lack of trying. Then, it hit him: a come-a-long.
     A come-a-long is basically a hand winch of sorts. You anchor it to a tree and then attach the other end to the object to be pulled, and it uses mechanical advantage to exert a massive amount of pulling power. So we have a long chain running from the nearest tree, and the other end attached to my truck, and start cranking away. I am pushing on one end, to help the come-a-long out, and the truck starts to move. This truck weighs over 5,000 pounds, so this is no small feat. Things are looking good, until SNAP! The chain breaks. I am amazed. I really didn’t think I’d ever see a chain break, and neither did Rick. That is, until we saw the link that broke: a repair he had made some years before. Thusly, we had a first hand experience with the old adage: “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”
     After that, we both admitted it was time to call in the big guns, and we called Phil, the excavator, to the rescue. He came over in a sand truck, and spread a ton of sand over the driveway and parking area. He then hooked up a much beefier chain to his truck, I got in mine and hit the gas, and he pulled me to freedom. Knowing how long I had been lobbying for a truck, and knowing I had just got this one last week, he left with a bit of advice: “I wouldn’t tell your wife about this one.” A wise man, that Phil.
       So it has been very quiet on the hillside this week, a winter wonderland where no work gets done. Hopefully, temps will get above freezing soon, and we can get the roof on this place. Until then, I think I’ll throw another log on the fire and get myself another cup of tea.