2012 at the Hammond Barn

[RHClarke]

Saturday felt like the coldest day of the year. It was about -10oC with a good stiff wind blowing. Hammond got a light dusting of snow the night before that also served notice that winter is coming. So, the first order of business was to feed Lucifer, which made working in the barn much more tolerable.

Shortly after things warmed up in the barn, Grant and Bob made their apparances. The order of business for today included a local recovery, clear out and clean up the rear of the barn, and then on to some small projects.

We three loaded up Bob's Ford for a quick cross-country trek to the wilds of Kars, Ontario, where a nice 261 engine awaited its new home. The engine was stored at Greg Wright's place and Greg lent a hand for the loading - thanks to him, we were able to refill the hydraulic cylinder resevior of the engine lift that had somehow gone dry. Bringing along the mobile engine lift was a very good idea as it made loading the engine a breeze. After a few adjustments, the engine was safely tied down and we said good bye to Greg, and hit the road again.

After a quick stop in Manotic at Tim Horton's, we headed back to Hammond along the rural routes to see what was hidden in the back yards now that the leaves were down. There were a few prospective locations to be checked out later, but nothing screamed CMP.

Back at the barn, we off loaded the engine, winterized it and stored it for future use. Then we sorted out the rear of the barn, which had become somewhat crowded. We usually use the back of the barn during the cold months given its proximity to Lucifer and given that either the tractor or one of our trucks occupy the front end of the barn.

Bob tended to a bunch of little tasks such as sorting sockets, looking for items and general organization. Grant got busy putting together his round hatch inside retaining ring. He fashioned the ring from four pieces of metal that he cut with a jigsaw. These four pieces were welded together and drilled. The end product looks the part and will definitely do the job.

I played with the sandblaster. The small doors from the Pilot model HUP doghouse needed to be cleaned of years of paint, tar and asbestos. Once the hazardous crap was removed, into the cabinet it went. After blasting, I got the metal working hammers and dollies out to straighten the edges and to take out the warpage.

It was a good but busy day at the Hammond barn. Thanks to Bob for the transport and Grant for the labour in recovering the engine. I am sure that more "treasures" await us in the near future.

Photos:

1 - The load out
2 - Picking up the engine at Greg Wright's place
3 - Snugly settled in the back of the Ford
4 - Grant's soon to be round hatch retaining ring
5 - Nearly done retaining ring

[RHClarke]

Christmas is quickly approaching, so on behalf of the members of the Hammond Barn and the Ottawa Rotters, we wish you and yours the best of the season, Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy New Year!

[RHClarke]

I got an email from Bob Carriere last night after he finished blasting the snow out of the driveways. Our shelters were a bit worse for wear. The combination of freezing rain, layers of snow and ice put a strain on all of the car shelters. The first casualty was Clive's shelter. It is now laying over his trailer providing a nice slide for the turkeys that Bob is feeding around the barn.

Grant's shelters suffered some sagging and material damage but nothing to worry about unless we get more freezing rain. Bob had fun clearing off his shelter which after having one side cleaned decided to take a step towards the barn until it shed its load of ice and snow before popping back into place.

My Pilot Model shelter and spares shelter were weighed down with an impressive amount of snow and ice, but both sprung back into position after I removed quite a pile of ice from the surfaces.

My 45 HUP shelter did not fare that well. It now has a distinct lean towards Bob's house. I am sure that the ice and snow would have eventually done their nasty deeds to the shelter in the near future, but this shelter obtained its lean from a gentle nudge from Bob's tractor. The combination of ice and snow and the nudge sent the shelter on its way earthwards. The roof of the shelter now rests on the roof of the HUP. I tied off the shelter frame to the nearby hydro pole so that it won't take flight with the strong winds that were blowing earlier today.

Bob and Grant were away doing separte tasks today, so it was just Lucifer and myself. While Lucifer gleefully glowed away, I took on the task of removing the dangerous amount of snow and ice off the shed roof. This took about three hours to complete, and I only cleared off the leeward side of the long shed, and most of the windward side.

By this time I had worked up quite a sweat, so I changed clothing and enjoyed Lucifer's warm embrace. After shutting down the fuel line, I locked up the barn and headed for home. The boys will be out to the barn on Sunday, and if things work out, my son, Jesse and I will join them for lunch.


Photos:

1- 45 HUP shelter askew
2 -Same
3 -Clive's shelter in hull down position
4 -The shed with some ice and snow removed
5 -If you look closely, you will see a dark outline of a turkey between the red and black trailers. I will be surprised if a few didn't disappear over Christmas...

[RHClarke]

As the old year winds down, a few more photos of our snowfall will have to do until 2013. We now have more snow this winter than we had combined last winter. The first blast of winter included a lot of freezing rain, wet snow and flurries followed by some cold arctic air. This accumulation put some serious stresses on our shelters and the shed, so the past week has been dedicated to snow clearing and removal. It will be nice to get back to work on CMPs, but that is a small price to pay to live in and near Hammond!

Happy New Year to all!

Photos:
1 - The "before" shot.
2 - The "after" shot.
3 - Quiet times at the barn.

[Bob Carriere]

Spent the better part of today relocating some of the snow to make room for the next storm. Redoing loose nuts on the snowblower and fixing the Ford with loose mud guards and installing the winter grill cover.

Sure appreciate the muscle power from both Rob and Grant.

...and as soon as all the heavy snow falls off the barn roof will have to do it again.... make sure you look up before you slam the side door or whoommph!!!

That pretty well wraps up this year.....

..... so a
C anadian
M erry Xmas and
P rosperous NEW YEAR ................. or is it preposterous !!!!

Boob

[Little Jo]

Hi Bob and the Hammond guys.

I really enjoy following your escapades in the barn and playing in the snow. I look forward to your thread in 2013. All that snow in Canada is such a difference to us here at home in South Australia where they are predicting our temperature for Thursday and Friday at 41 and 42 degrees. Bit hot for this old boy born in the snow in Holland.

A Safe and Prosperous 2013 to you all.

Cheers

Tony