We had some wild weather here last night. During the day we had a few showers and southerly winds. A strong cold front was approaching from the northwest. The closer the front came the stronger the south wind blew and the temperatures rose. It was warmer at 9pm that it had been all day.

Just after the temperature spike, the thunderstorms rolled in. We had amazing flashes of lightning and the thunder shook the whole house. The wind really came up with these storms and I watched horizontal rain blow across the covered back porch.

As predicted after the thunderstorms passed the temperature began to fall. We had a high of 58 last night at 9pm and it was 29 when I went to bed at midnight.  It was a balmy 18 when I got up this morning. Needless to say one of the first things I did, after making a pot of coffee, was to fire up the woodstove.

I am itching for the warmer temperatures of spring and to see things coming back to life.

There have been a few projects here at the gulch that we have been working on, some short term, some long term. One of my favorites has been perfecting my homemade noodles. I think I have gotten them just about where I want them. Judging by how fast these disappear when I make them this project has been a success. They really don’t take long to make and they taste great. I will post the recipe over at The Recipe Files.

A long term project that we have been working on is replacing the transmission on the pick up. Just finding one has taken almost a year. It seems that the transmission for the truck is one that was used only for a short time, hence the difficulty in finding a replacement. Having finally procured one,  the next step was having suitable weather conditions to install it.  This has not been easy either between the weather and Jeff2s’  work schedule.

Yesterday we had decent weather conditions so we set about the installation process. At this point we do not have a garage or other outbuilding suitable for this type of work, so it all has to be done outside. I wish I could say that it is done, but alas it was not to be. After hours of maneuvering with the aid of jacks and blocks the transmission was bench pressed up and into place, almost. It still needs to come forward a bit to bolt into place, but with the sun setting, hours of lying on cold damp ground and exhaustion taking their toll, we called it a day.  But it is so much closer to completion than when we started.

Jeff2 was talking about going back out to work on it today. It is supposed to be a fairly warm day, but it started out cool. It was 18 when I got up this morning and so far has only warmed up to 24. Also Jeff2 has to work this afternoon, so this project may be waiting until this week end, but we will see how it goes.

It is supposed to be in the mid fifties today, with similar temps expected tomorrow. However it is supposed to rain tomorrow. If the temps climb up quickly enough, I will be using the wringer washer and clothes line. Even though it is very low tech, I find that I can wash a weeks worth of the clothes in a fraction of the time that it takes with my little automatic washer. That is even with hauling the water out for the washer and rinse tub by the bucket. A nice breeze and plentiful sunshine is also predicted and that will aid the drying process.

I got up to snow and some wind. Then it snowed a little more. Then we had a mix of rain and snow. I think it is a good day to stay inside and enjoy the fire. Fortunately, for me, I don’t have anywhere that I have to be other than here. Other member of our gulch are not quite as lucky.

The #1 daughter had an interview to get to this morning. She has had no experience in driving in snow or on slick roads. I tried to give her some pointers, but I’m thinking she did not listen. This is just by watching her try to get out of the driveway and onto the slick road. I am sure that the main road has been salted, but our little back road….not so much. Jeff2 and I were watching her and saying at the same time, “Get your foot off the gas”, as she was fishtailing down the road. Too bad she couldn’t hear us. Since we haven’t gotten a phone call from her, I am assuming that she made it ok.

We just got in the house from stacking a load of firewood, and I can truthfully say that the wind is damp and cold. I am glad to be back in the house. However Hunter is anxiously waiting for me warm back up so I can go outside with him to experience the snow. So we will walk down to the bridge, look at the creek and he will be satisfied. I hope.

Today is Hunters’ Birthday!

He is 4 years old today. It has been a tradition in our family that the birthday celebrant gets to pick what they want for dinner. And request what kind of cake they will have. We have had some interesting choices throughout the years.

For breakfast he is eating french toast, with green sugar sprinkles…….. He has also chosen to have green cupcakes with green icing. I am sensing a trend here. However his choice for dinner is not green. He wants fried chicken (which he calls bone chicken), mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.

His choice for lunch is still undecided. I am wondering if he will want something green….

Happy Birthday Hunter!

At least weather wise. The week started off on the cool side then became rather balmy, and very windy. During one of the balmy and windy days I used my wringer washer and spanking new rinse tub.

After toting water out to fill up the washer and the rinse tub, I drug out a load of clothes and fired up the washer. About then the wind really started cranking. Which can be a good thing when hanging wet laundry out to dry. With some of the more potent gusts I was just hoping that the clothes would stay on the line. I was beginning to think that if they blew off in the breeze I would either find them in the trees at the end of the pasture or maybe in the next county.

Hunter was fascinated with grandma washing clothes on the back porch. He just couldn’t get enough of watching the clothes go through the wringer from the washer to the rinse and then into the basket. At one point he asked me if the wringer hurt the clothes………I had explained to him what could happen to his fingers if got them too close to the wringer. Assured that the clothes didn’t have feelings like his fingers, he enjoyed watching the process.

After two days of warmer than normal temperatures we again got some rain (woohoo!). Then it began to cool off and return to more January like weather. There is even snow forecast for this week end and early next week. I am glad I took advantage of the warmer weather earlier this week.

The New Year has found us with much cooler temperatures. It was 8 degrees when I woke up this morning. We also have a dusting of snow mingling with a heavy coating of frost, such a difference from the heat we endured this past summer. I am hoping for a more normal weather pattern with regular rainfall this year.

I am looking forward to putting in a garden. I was initially disappointed when, due to a broken tractor, I didn’t get to plant a garden last year. But since I would have only had to watch it die off in the heat and lack of rain, that turned out for the best. The tractor is still in need of repair, but I am determined to have a garden regardless of that fact. There are other options available to accomplish that task.

Jeff2 has ordered a rinse tub to go with my recently acquired wringer washer. This was the best gift possible! I am eagerly awaiting its arrival, along with warmer temperatures to put both to use. Then with some cleaning and rearranging of the back porch I will be ready to do the laundry outside and hang it on the clothes line.

There were many projects that ended up on the back burner due to various unforeseen circumstances that I want to see done this year. I guess in a way I will be making up for some lost time and am eager for spring to I can dive into getting those things done.

It is much quieter here at the gulch, dog wise. The Pyrenees that found us a year ago when they were in dire straights, grew healthy and filled out from their skeleton like state. But they were unhappy with being confined to a fenced yard, having it their natures to roam larger areas. So I found them homes with farmers with goat herds to tend. I have checked on their progress and they are doing very well and are much happier.

It was with a bit of a heavy heart, but with the knowledge that they were going to homes where they were both to be loved and needed. So now we have only one dog, where at this time last year we had four. I am still missing my dog, Trooper, after he died last fall. His passing has left an empty space in my soul.

With a difficult year behind us, we move on with hope that this year will prove much better than the last.