[RHClarke]

The mercury dipped to -23 oC this clear and very sunny morning. With the wind, it felt like -32 – cold on any temperature scale! It was so cold that I was the only one at the barn this morning. Bob and Grant (I’m guessing) were out on Saturday. All of the vehicle shelters had the snow removed, so the boys were busy yesterday. Bob did a great job of clearing the snow from the front driveway, the road to the barn and the area in front of the barn. I’ll bet that was great fun, as no matter where the machine blows the snow, some is bound to blow back over you.

When I got to the barn I didn’t fire up Lucifer as I could only stay for a few hours. Upon entry I noticed that a new bin system was assembled and placed against one of the walls. Bob and Grant continue their fascination with racks and the like. So far most of the bins are empty, but that will change. Hopefully, the boys will chime in to speak of their exploits.

My morning was spent removing about 10 inches of snow from most of the roof of the old shed. The snow was in three layers – a soft top layer, a sheet of ice with compacted snow underneath. It was a bitch to breakup and clear off as the snow rake is somewhat flimsy and it catches the nails on the tin sheet roof. We will need to extend the reach of the snow rake so that I can get the remainder of the snow without having to get up on the roof. The old shed has developed a noticeable westward lean, and there was no sense in tempting fate.

After that fun, I fixed a broken shovel. The shovel blade had split where the dent for the handle meets the flat part of the shovel. After getting the power level right, the weld worked nicely. Some finishing touches with the grinder, and the shovel should last another five years. Yes, I am cheap. After locking up, I drove home for lunch very much enjoying the sun highlighting the ice in the trees. Winter in Canada can be a bit of a bitch, but it also can be downright beautiful.

Photos:
1 - Ice in the trees
2 - Camouflaged Dodges
3 - Unladen Bins