Parting company with an old friend.

OK,  that sounds pretty damned serious.   It’s not.  Settle down.

This coming Friday,  pushed back a day as Monday was a Holiday,  is “put out yer crap” day.  And I’ve been meaning to part company with my old snow blower on a few occasions now.  Keep forgetting.

Of course,  since the place where it was sitting, under the back steps,  was exactly where the tiny little bit of water managed to come into the basement,  it was something that sort of jumped out at me.

It’s got to go.

The very last time I took it anywhere for “service”,  which was something like six or seven years ago,  the Service Dude bade me to never bring it back again,  since he replaced the belt as I had asked,  but had warned me that some other issues were about to flare up,  and spending any more money on it would have been foolhardy.

Son-in-law did use it for the first couple of winters when we were away (amazing,  I know!) but then for the winter of ‘12 and ‘13,  it just sat back there.  I did take a pull on the cord, and it does turn over,  but I wouldn’t even want to begin to try and fire it up. 

Somebody will take it.

Either one of the metal scavenging guys,  or just someone who wants a project. 

I got plenty.

 

Like this one.

 

I’ve been farting around with this abomination for a couple days now.  It’s another *issue* that we’ve had with the “Veranda” up at the front of the house.  On one end,  there’s a “knee wall”,  behind which is an unheated space.  I’d like to close it off.  I’m going to be spiffing up that whole enchilada,  so this is part of the process.

And I learned something!

 

It has to fit into and odd space,  as you can see,  and of course,  I had this hair-brained idea that I wanted it to be a proper door.  HOWEVER,  with the hinges on the right hand side, ‘cause where else would they go? that means that as the door starts to open,  it swings OUT from the hinges.  Which,  of course means that it will bind at the top.  Or not open at all. 

*poop*

 

Soooo,  that meant some surgery.  You can’t see it,  but the upper right stile is bevelled at the back.    That was a few trips back and forth. 

Oy!

But, it now works.

I’ve decreed that tomorrow is stain finishing up day,  and I’ll put some Cetol on the wood there as well. 

There are a few spots where stain is missing,  and don’t ask me why we did that.  But now I need to get that sorted.

 

Speaking of sorted,  I was desperately trying to figure out today just where in heck the water was seeping in during our rain storm.

And yes,  climbing up to the roof is not exactly being in my “Happy Place”,  but I had to suck it up.

Now I realise that we were pretty danged lucky,  all in all,  since there are folks on this very street who have had their basements completely flooded.  Seems to be some sort of luck of the draw. 

I found a couple spots that looked suspicious but really,  except for the obvious bits there where the flashing has lifted,  I was really struggling to see anything glaringly obvious.   I’ll just be glad to get the new roof on and be done with it.

Now if we could just figure out sister-in-law’s situation. 

I mentioned last time that the yard was flooded and the beaver dam was in place to keep the water away from the back door.  Well,  that didn’t mean that no water was getting in.  The roof leaks too,  and we’re pretty sure the chimney is the culprit.   Of course,  the water tends to run down under the shingles and comes in wherever it bloody well pleases,  which meant that sister-in-law had multiple drips to contend with.   Such fun, eh?

So ya,  even though listening to the rain here at The Ponderosa can be just a tad stressful,  we’re not in that bad a shape. 

I like to tell myself that,  anyway.

 

 

***

This just in!

As I’m sitting here at this very moment,  I hear a commotion coming from the end of the driveway.

Well,  it was a bit of a struggle  (it was a guy and his lady friend) ‘cause Pick-up beds are just a tad high it seems,  but THE SNOWBLOWER IS GONE.   

Whoda thunk?

I think it was out there for something like an hour and twenty minutes.   Is that some kind of record??

Cwazy!

I felt sorry for the chick,  but she was a trooper.

Travelling Companion said,  “Should you tell them it doesn’t work?”   I think they might have figured that part out.  And if they didn’t,  they will.

 

OK,  I’m done. 

 

Keep it between the ditches.

 

Thanks for stopping by.