Bogieblog

There Goes the Neighborhood

76-year-old Deering man was selling drugs with his guns, police say | New Hampshire NEWS03.

One of our "neighbors" - okay, he lives a couple of miles from us, but he is from the same town and almost everyone here has had some sort of dealings with Burt.

Pillows and Rugosas Have Nothing to do With Each Other

Yesterday when we got home from the dump run, there was a package on the front porch. Pillows from Cop Car!!!

They go great with the Livingroom furniture!

Also yesterday (it was a busy day), I cleaned out the rugosa roses. I hadn't done that for a couple of years and there were a lot of dead canes for two reasons. The summer of 2011 I poisoned them - on purpose. the canes were invading past the rock wall, into the path to the dog pen. I spent years trying to dig out roots and canes, but to no avail. I finally got out some vine and stump killer to kill the canes closest to the wall. Then last winter was very rough on them (mild, but no snow to protect them), and which killed more plants.

In the picture you can see I really wiped out the closest portion - the portion further away was not done until today. Poor things will not bloom this year, and will loook like azz for at least a year, but they will eventually come back and be beautiful again.

And in Other News at the Bogie Stead

Last week we had some nice days. Wednesday and Friday were nice enough that I rode to work. We also didn't bother to light the woodstove the evenings of Tuesday or Friday - which brings to a total of 3 (or maybe 4) days that the stove has been out since winter started. The nights are still usually cold - in the 20's or 30's, so an evening fire is still the norm though.

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Friday morning I was amazed that there wasn't much traffic once I got toward the MA state line and all the rest of the way to work. I briefly thought there was a holiday that I didn't know about. Of course I hadn't seen the news (I leave before the news comes on) and since I was riding the bike, I couldn't listen to the news while on my way so I didn't know about the drama in Watertown (and MIT before then). A couple of people couldn't come in to work as they were in the shut down area as they hunted for the Boston Bombing suspect.

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Went to get the Jeep inspected yesterday. After an hour, the counter guy said that we had a "Huge problem". I looked at him and he went on that my vehicle passed inspection with "flying colors". So I asked him what the issue was. Apparently they ran out of 2014 stickers and couldn't get them until Monday. I now have to go back next Saturday to get my sticker. Not a huge deal, just an inconvenience, but a bit irritating never the less because I had made the appointment at the beginning of the week, so they knew they needed a sticker for my vehicle.

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WS has decided we need another piece of equipment to help with projects around the house/yard. He has bought it, but can't have it delivered yet because it needs some work (it is very used), and it is mud season here, so getting out to it in the pasture is problematic. I won't say what it is, and let you guys make guesses until it makes its way here next month.

I think I have caught up with my lack of posting the last month or two - but don't get used to it!

Snow - We Has Snow

Up until February, we hadn't seen much snow. However, since then, we have gotten plenty. We got the Blizzard, with 31+ inches. Then we got another 10+ inches, Then we got another foot. Then, Thursday into Friday, when we were supposed to get 3-6", we got just under a foot (11.5"). And that doesn't count all the times we have gotten 2" here, 3" there. There has also been melting between the larger storms, but all in all, it has really added up around here. To whit:

Those pictures were taken yesterday morning. The snow has gotten so heavy, it actually broke part of the fence. I haven't gotten to that part of the yard, but I can tell that where a couple of shrubs meet, and a vine (autumn clematis) climbs them, the snow got too heavy and a section of fence got pushed away. The dogs can't get thru, but it irks me because I thought last fall that I should trim the clematis. But, I usually cut it back quite brutally in the spring every couple of years, so I let it go. Ha, teach me!

With all the Snow Around, Sledding is on the Mind

After listening to WS describe some of the beautiful landscapes he has seen, and looking at pictures he has taken over the years when he has been out snowmobiling, I told him that I would like to at least learn how, to see if is something I would enjoy.

Yesterday, he and Jimmy decided it would be a good day to go to Greenfield State Park to give me a place to learn (low 40's and no wind). We trailered the sleds over, then I got a quick lesson (this is the throttle, this is the brake, these are the heat controls for the grips), I was off to a shaky start just because I'm naturally nervous about this type of thing - plus with WS as an observer, that adds extra pressure.

We stayed within a small area of the park, where we rarely saw anyone else, which was good as far as I was concerned.

I forgot the camera, but got a couple of pics by phone:

The guys starting to take off ahead of me. Yes, I was stopped when I took this picture. Yes, I lost sight of them while I was putting my phone away and gloves on. No, they didn't let me stay lost (they are so good to a newbie!)

The guys and the sleds. I started out on the "purple" sled at the forfront of the picture. It is the oldest of the lot, very heavy and with heavy stearing. However, it does actually hold into turns better than some sleds. It does take a lot of physical stamina and strength to control for very long, so after a while on it, WS had me try the white and black sled. It is the newest of the lot, with very light steering and a more forward sitting position. It is does not "bite" into corners as well as the purple sled, but I wasn't going very fast (mostly arougn 20 mPH - did get up to 27 at one point), so it wasn't an issue. It was nice getting to sit on two completely different style sleds to see how the seating, leg position and everything else afffected comfort and control of the sled.

Jimmy offered to let me try his sled (the sled in the background of the picture), but I didn't feel up to the challenge of riding a 2-up sled with at track that is much longer than the other two sleds.

We were there about 2.5 hours and had lots of fun. I will have to do this a few more times before I can decide whether I want to do this on a regular basis - but I didn't do badly for someone who has never actually sat on a sled before!

Valentines Surprise

Most Valentines Days, we give each other cards. Last year I surprised WS at work with a bouquet of flowers. This year, I got home to this:

Beautiful roses entertwined with a bamboo.

I think WS is a keeper!

Final Pics from Snowmageddon 2013

Just a few pictures from last weekend's Nor'Easter:

Sunday was so nice; sunny and a high of 28F, so I got hot shoveling and ended up taking off my jacket.

Still had to wear gloves because the handle was cold, and the Sorrel boots to keep the feet dry, but it was still a really nice day for finishing the clean up.

On Monday, the roof started shedding its snow load - WS snapped these pictures of the snow overhanging in the back, then the front of the house before he got out the roof rake:

The roof took a couple of days to completely shed its load, but it cleaned off fine and is nice and clear for the next storm.

Snowmageddon 2013

We have gotten over 30" of snow from Nor'Easter Nemo. At 10 last night, I shoveled about 10" of snow. This morning, I measured 21" where I had previously shoveled. While I was shoveling, at least 1-2" fell (it took me close to 2 hours to shovel - and that was just the deck and front walkway).

 

WS is still trying to get the driveway cleared. Heck, he hasn't even gotten far enough for us to clear off the trucks and move them yet - and he has been out there since 7 AM.

The poor snowblower just disappears in the snow and the Jeep is just a suggestion of a vehicle.

As bad as it sounds, we have had plenty of storms drop this much snow in years past, so it isn't the storm of the century for us.

Twenty Seven Days

Twenty seven more days until the Last Great Race. Unfortunately with my work schedule (or lack of time at home due to work), I will not be able to provide race coverage as I have in previous years. I'm sure the racers won't notice though.

So far it looks like a group of 89 racers, with 16 women in the running - although that is subject ot change. The canine reporters are already putting up posts about subjects such as keeping healthy, happy dogs - and one of the reporters, Gypsy, is from New Hampshire. Hey, the canine reporters have already taught me something - one of the dogs that I thought was a Siberian-type puppy is actually a full grown Alaskan Klee Kai.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to this year's race.

That Aweful Sound

We are winding down a week that  has been pretty darn cold. Mornings have been in the negative numbers (right now it is -2, even thought the low was supposed to be +2). As far as I know, we haven't been in negative double-digits, but the wind has been strong so the wind-chills have definitely been there. Several days haven't made it into the positive double digits, so the heater has been going full blast when we aren't home.

That is, it was going full blast until Wedneday morning when I woke up to the aweful sound of it sucking for fuel. I had just told WS that night that I had been meaning to order oil because I was sure we were getting low. With the temp (at 4 AmP) at -7, and the wind wipping along at a good 35 mPH, the other possibility was that the line had frozen up.

I got up and turned off the heater, started the fire back up in the woodstove and checked the temperature downstairs. It had already dipped to 63 (set at 66) and the water line going the front corner of the house was in danger of freezing so I dug up some space heaters and set one in the corner and the larger one was set in the open area between the laundry room and the hall to the heater room. Then I worked out as usual. By the time I was done, WS had gotten up and I told him the situation. I turned the heater back on and it managed to find fuel to run for aabout 2 minutes, then started sucking again - good, it was just a frozen line.

WS went into town to get some anti-gell for the tank and 5 gallons of diesel just to make sure that we had enough fuel. I went to work and later he emailed me that the anti-gel and a torch to the fitting worked. I ordered oil, which they delivered that day (she said that they had gotten a lot of calls already that day - after only being there 1/2 an hour) and life was once again good.