The wind was whipping and my outside readout here at the CWCC read 7 degrees outside and 41 in the basement when I decided to catch a bit of shut eye. I woke up every two hours to check that the blower was still going and to look at the temp in the basement and it never fell below 38. I also kinda had some time to think a bit as I tried to fall back to sleep and I may have figured out a solution for running some heat into the basement without redoing the duct work. More on that later though.
By 9AM the temp had risen outside into the lower 20's the sun was shining, the sheep were actually coming out of their respective stalls and interested in food again and the entire herd of cats and dogs ran out the door at once. The cats especially hadn't seen the outside world in days and the two females wanted away from the annoying neutered males so bad they could taste it.
I am certainly relieved that every time I get up my chair isn't immediately occupied by some damned cat that looks at me with an attitude of "Move your meat, lose your seat" when I come back. Like they are going to win that argument.
We used a good chunk of wood though. I would say my racks by the furnace are about half depleted so I will be splitting another load tomorrow if I don't get called into work. Things are starting early this year and I am ahead of last years consumption already as I started burning full time almost two weeks earlier. My split reserves are still down but my need to be split reserves are already about double so I should be in good shape as long as I can continue to get out and cut. It takes a long time to build up that much of a reserve when you are using it as you go.
Suppose to be warming up now through the weekend and getting back to normal temps so I can get the rest of the shop cleaned and straightened back up and get back to work.
I wonder if these harsher Winters are here to stay for a while now?
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
LOL....we have cats like that, too. Get up for a couple of minutes and one of the cats takes over your seat. Nothing like a cat with cabin fever.
ReplyDeleteTewshooz - My two Queens are the worst about it too. They are always either right here at my elbow or in my lap anyway because they know the boys won't bother them when they are near me. I get up to get a drink or something and come back they have claimed my chair.... Everytime.
DeleteThey're just trying to keep it warm for you...everyone likes a nice warm seat, LOL.
DeleteSince the more rational of climatologists think we could well be entering another "mini ice-age", it's entirely possible that the winters will get colder, and stick around longer. I'd personally be okay with that, but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteRP - Winter doesn't bother me. I still say it is one of the best allies we will have post collapse. As long as I have trees to cut I am fine but I do worry about my honey bees. Wonder how bad Winters have to get before their Northern range begins to shrink?
DeleteWe only got to 20 last night so it wasn't as bad as a week or so ago. I haven't burnt as much wood so far now that I have the 2 extra stoves. That doesn't make much sense but they don't burn as much as the furnace and I get rid of a lot of limbs in them instead of the hard earned split wood. I went out in the woods this afternoon and there is enough wood down to last the winter so happy happy. I have been thinking of winter as the enemy but you might be right as it could be one of our best allies. It will be essential to be prepared for planting, it will be a critical growing season until people adjust.
ReplyDeleteSf - It's my thinking that in a long term collapse Winter will be more of an ally than it will be an enemy as long as you are prepared. It typically was that was at many times in Europe. Of course famines and the like can quickly turn Winter against you too.
DeleteI grew up in the cold winter north east and loved it as a kid. Then 35 years in California where I could grow anything and winter was the rainy season that lasted only 4 or 5 months. Guess that spoiled me. Now for the past 20 years in the snowy, cold part of Oregon. Boy, I feel the cold more each year...can never seem to get warm no matter how many layers I put on. But for survival, it is the best place to be, I think. Hardly any people here and rugged terrain. Guess we can't have everything.
ReplyDeleteTewshooz - I am kinda of the opinion that great distances between residents might be just as dangerous as being in a high concentration area only in a different way. Safety and some semblance of order does take people. Although I doubt there are many places in the US right now that are too sparsely populated to be safe. Maybe Death Valley. There will need to be trade and the like though.
DeleteWhen I look at how things will more than likely split, mostly by racial and social lines, Winter will certainly do us more good than harm I suspect as long as we are prepared for it. Surviving Winter isn't entirely a learned skill. I think there is a fair amount written into the DNA.
I meant too sparsely populated to be unsafe.....
DeleteIn Mexico you have abandonment of rural villages, particularly near the northern border, but you also have areas where village folk have banded together to fight mini-wars with the bad guys. Problem with too extreme dispersion is that it is hard to band together.
DeleteAt the start of King Philip's War the folks who had set up their home a little too far out, and didn't pull up stakes when trouble first started, often didn't come to a good end. Even with centralized defenses at largish meeting/block houses, half the villages were abandoned. They had no way to keep the Indians from just waiting outside their house and sniping at them when they went out to do their work in the morning. And mind you, this is in the matchlock era, so reloading was a little slower.
This is January weather around here. Snow and ice still on the ground with icicles hanging off every eave. But at least we have sunshine whereas the valleys are under fog which is creating hoarfrost on everything. Rumor has it we'll be about 10 degrees warmer tomorrow, but then again, last night was suppose to have been the last night of cold. It is 5F degrees now (at 9pm). So much for rumors. ;-)
ReplyDeletehobo - Well really other than a few lows we haven't been too extreme. The temps dropped back down to 19 right after the sun went down tonight and are already back up to 24 as I write this. Suppose to be back up above freezing by morning. It's been a little colder than usual for November and it lasted a bit longer than usual but so far hasn't been too bad.... Yet.
DeleteHobo I feel you, we have had every winter situation in SW idaho in under a week. I had to restock wood on my front porch and the wagon suck for plowing through 8 inches + of snow. I can't beleieve i'm almost 50 years old never married with no kids and I'm looking for a sale on sleds.
ReplyDeleteMASR - Well I guess as long as you aren't going to use it to travel down hills for fun :)
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