Topic: Oh Baby, it's cold outside! Now it's hot! WTF?? NOW FREEZING - AGAIN!

[grcamna2]

Been “away” for a few days. Vicious ice storm has devastated our area. No power since Saturday evening...

…sorry to hear that John!  Guessing that isnt an April Fools Day joke.  Do you have power yet?

Steve….. Probably not for a few days. The cook stove and the generator are keeping everything warm and running. Tim (the guy I race and farm with) is headed over now with his really BIG New Holland tractor. The last 100’ my overhead power lines cut through Forest on the way out to the pole on the road. The cut is plugged with downed trees and my lines are buried under them. His tractor has a huge snow bucket on the front, with a massive row of top clamps. The plan is to pull my disconnected lines out and try and clear the “cut”. Out on the road, there are 5 poles down and no crews in site. Hopefully I’ll be ready for hook up when they get here…….

Excellent response John 

[BenelliSEI]

No sign of the Hydro crews yet, but some good news. Tim and I pushed our way into the 100’ cut through the bush that takes my hydro lines out to the “street pole”. It’s actually quite clear and my lines are just laying on top of some low down brush. They are still attached to my pole, at my property line. They are slack and hanging only because the trees that knocked down the street pole separated them there. In theory, the Hydro crew just has to pull them and reattach (to the pole that isn’t there). All we can do is wait……

[BenelliSEI]

Here’s a good example of how thick the ice became. Imagine the weight on the really big trees!

[grcamna2]

No sign of the Hydro crews yet, but some good news. Tim and I pushed our way into the 100’ cut through the bush that takes my hydro lines out to the “street pole”. It’s actually quite clear and my lines are just laying on top of some low down brush. They are still attached to my pole, at my property line. They are slack and hanging only because the trees that knocked down the street pole separated them there. In theory, the Hydro crew just has to pull them and reattach (to the pole that isn’t there). All we can do is wait……

You've had a tough Winter up there.
How have the neighbors in that part of the country been doing,similar damage or worse ?

[BenelliSEI]

Bill…… One road north of us is closed for a mile. The clean up will take months. A lady I spoke to at our General Store said; “If you want to live the dream, you occasionally have to suffer the nightmare”…….

[HondaMan]

Steve-O's headline for this thread sounds just like the weather here these past 3 weeks!

[Stev-o]

Here’s a good example of how thick the ice became. Imagine the weight on the really big trees!

Wow...unbelievable! Best of luck to you, John.

There seems to be extreme weather across the U.S this week too. 
We're in extreme drought in Central TX, only a few sprinkles yesterday but hoping for rain on Fri and Sat.

[grcamna2]

Bill…… One road north of us is closed for a mile. The clean up will take months. A lady I spoke to at our General Store said; “If you want to live the dream, you occasionally have to suffer the nightmare”…….

John, has the crew been working on getting you near 'up and running' yet?
How're you holding up ?

[BenelliSEI]

Bill…… One road north of us is closed for a mile. The clean up will take months. A lady I spoke to at our General Store said; “If you want to live the dream, you occasionally have to suffer the nightmare”…….

John, has the crew been working on getting you near 'up and running' yet?
How're you holding up ?

Steve……. All good! No crews in sight, we might be 4-5 more days. Been sunny and mild for a few days. Generator keeps us in water (hot too), lights and everything but heat. We have a full size Findlay cook stove that has been running none stop on firewood. Keeps the entire house surprisingly snug. Just picked up a face cord of cut/split hardwood from a guy up the road. The stuff down everywhere on our property is mostly pine and poplar junk. Really just good for the “chipper”.

[grcamna2]

Bill…… One road north of us is closed for a mile. The clean up will take months. A lady I spoke to at our General Store said; “If you want to live the dream, you occasionally have to suffer the nightmare”…….

John, has the crew been working on getting you near 'up and running' yet?
How're you holding up ?

Steve……. All good! No crews in sight, we might be 4-5 more days. Been sunny and mild for a few days. Generator keeps us in water (hot too), lights and everything but heat. We have a full size Findlay cook stove that has been running none stop on firewood. Keeps the entire house surprisingly snug. Just picked up a face cord of cut/split hardwood from a guy up the road. The stuff down everywhere on our property is mostly pine and poplar junk. Really just good for the “chipper”.

John, Nice stove.

[lash]

Thanks for posting that picture of your stove John! Now my wife wants one!

[BenelliSEI]

Thanks for posting that picture of your stove John! Now my wife wants one!

Bill…… it’s a good one.

Dwayne…… Heart of the House. We had it rebuilt at “Ernie’s Woodstoves” 25 years ago. The guy was actually quite close to you. Not sure if he is even alive, but he had about 5 X 53’ trailers full of them and parts. It works spectacularly well and is +100 years old! Cooking dinner on it now.

[BenelliSEI]

+6 Hydro trucks in the road, two trailers with rigs to set poles and at least 20 crew from all over Ontario and Quebec…… maybe by tonight!

[denward17]

+6 Hydro trucks in the road, two trailers with rigs to set poles and at least 20 crew from all over Ontario and Quebec…… maybe by tonight!

Good Luck John!

I remember the suffering from one of our hurricanes that came through where I lived in the late 80's, was out of power for 10 days, not fun.

[BenelliSEI]

+6 Hydro trucks in the road, two trailers with rigs to set poles and at least 20 crew from all over Ontario and Quebec…… maybe by tonight!

Good Luck John!

I remember the suffering from one of our hurricanes that came through where I lived in the late 80's, was out of power for 10 days, not fun.

I have a decent size gas powered generator that kept everything running. Converting to a Heat Pump means no furnace, but we have everything else and the old cook stove has kept the house warm in the mild weather. It will be good to get back to normal……

[grcamna2]

+6 Hydro trucks in the road, two trailers with rigs to set poles and at least 20 crew from all over Ontario and Quebec…… maybe by tonight!

Yeah man !

[HondaMan]

Wood stoves are the best.

[ofreen]

I'd agree that there is no heat that feels as good as wood stove heat.  But it makes your house stink.  And your clothes. And everything else in the house.  You may not notice it, but everyone else will. 

[Kelly E]

There's a whole lot of smells way worse than wood smoke.

[PeWe]

Really dry birch wood smells and burn fine.
Too fresh spruce smoke, sparkle and smells.
I have a friend that has used his wood stove daily during the cold season since late 80's. A cozy feeling.

He has a small mechanical self running fan that spreads the heat into the room.

He had chickens before, a very strong smell everywhere.

[Stev-o]

There's a whole lot of smells way worse than wood smoke.

My wife has a very keen sense of smell, but the wood burning fireplace we have does not bother her.  Now if one of my bikes has a minor fuel leak, I hear about it right away!!

John - the wood stove you have is just an "auxiliary unit" right?  Is your main stove electric? 
A lot of people prefer gas and if you lose electric power, it still works.

[newday777]

Mother Nature has PMS again 😫

[BenelliSEI]

There's a whole lot of smells way worse than wood smoke.

My wife has a very keen sense of smell, but the wood burning fireplace we have does not bother her.  Now if one of my bikes has a minor fuel leak, I hear about it right away!!

John - the wood stove you have is just an "auxiliary unit" right?  Is your main stove electric? 
A lot of people prefer gas and if you lose electric power, it still works.

Steve….. all our appliances are electric. The old Findlay kept the house warm and was sizzling away all week. It has a six “burner” cooktop, so we never used the stove or range at all! The two over the fire box will boil water in minutes and as you move away the temperatures across the other four range from hot to warm. It’s brilliant.

[BenelliSEI]

Bikes are ready and so……

[grcamna2]

Bikes are ready and so……

John, what's your outside ambient temps today?
I hope you get sunlight.