Tuesday 13 November 2012

Fluff and stuff

We had the first real storm of the winter roll through this past weekend. While not terribly cold (the temperature at lowest was then around -7C), it was definitely snowy.



According to the weather newsperson on Monday morning, the amount of snow we got on Saturday was what would normally fall during the entire month of November.



We got walloped! Unfortunately, that meant there were quite a few car accidents and one of my friends lost his ex-inlaws in a fatal crash. For some reason, many people seem to forget that to drive in winter means slowing down majorly and leaving lots of time and distance between you and anyone else on the road.

Luckily, I had just had my snow tires put on my car a few days before the storm, so  I beat a lot of people out there. I can imagine the wait to get that done this week. I do prefer to be proactive when it comes to getting and keeping my car in decent shape, especially now that I have a commute on the highway to get to work.

I am in the second week of my "staycation" and continue to wander around the house, unpacking and organizing. A lot of the non-essential stuff was put on hold while I was concentrating on getting the bathroom completed. And now that the temperatures outside are continuing to drop (it's -14C this morning, but bright and sunny), it's time to do a little weatherproofing on some older windows and the front door.



Eventually (we're talking years here...), all the windows will be replaced with top quality ones that will keep out the drafts and not get all covered in moisture. I don't use the front door right now, and it's an older wooden one (nothing to look at but leaky as a sieve), so it will be new weatherstripping for it as well as one of those sweeps that goes on the bottom. I held my hand to the bottom and could feel the draft yesterday! I'm not fond of paying to heat the outdoors. The back door is a newer steel door that is properly sealed so that's not a worry.

And a post wouldn't be complete without some mention of at least one of the cats, so here is Pips, outside in the snow, and suitably unimpressed. She actually went back into the house when I opened the door... which is a first! Lila has no desire to venture outside... she's a big chicken.



Pips definitely likes to be warm, as can be seen by her choice of resting spots.


16 comments:

  1. Well after an adventure, a cat deserves to warm back up. :)

    Glad all's well in your new abode and hope the snow doesn't cause you a problem. We live in a 130 year old farm house and as soon as we could afford it, the first thing we did was replace all the windows with double insulated ones: they're great because they fold down and INTO the house for cleaning!

    Stay warm!

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  2. Wow. That's a shed load of snow.

    Over here it rarely dips below 0' and it may snow 4 or 5 times over the winter. This makes winter prep very hit and miss.

    Snow tires are so expensive getting them on the off chance isn't viable.

    Glad you're getting all settled in.
    xxx

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  3. Hope: When I get around to replacing the windows, they will be triple pane low-e windows... Need to go with the big guns with our climate.

    130 year old house! I get it has tons of character!

    Roses: I dropped almost $1000 last fall getting winter tires and rims to put them on. But considering it is winter for about 6 months out of every year, it was well worth the money! Anyone who thinks all season radial tires are good in winter is mental. I watched a man in a minivan trying to drive away from a stop sign today, tires spinning madly because he couldn't get a grip!

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  4. Frightening driving conditions. Do be careful.
    We know al labout draughts here and don't use the front door in the winter. Loads of glass and no double glazng:)

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  5. Wait! Pips is a chicken and not a cat? How many animals have you got living in your frozen ark, eh?

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  6. Do you ever look out your window and wonder why we live where we live? I do.

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  7. Pat: Yes, driving carefully is definitely the thing to do! Stay warm and draft free.

    Chef: No, Pips is not a chicken.... Lila is! I've been tempted to add to my little zoo but so far, common sense and a limited bank account have kept things in check.

    UB: Yup. Family. That's why I live here. The winter sunshine (when it's really cold, it's a life saver) and hot summers are great too. I've lived lots of places and I keep coming back here. Guess I am meant to stay!

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  8. Did someone say 'Chicken'? mmmmmmmm! With roast spuds, honeyed parsnips, glazed carrots, dressed cabbage and gravy? Yes, count me in! :¬)

    xxx

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  9. Hey my dear - how are you?

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  10. Feliz Navidad, Ponita!

    Merry Christmas to you and yours!

    Stay safe, warm, and cozy.

    -----((*))--
    ------*o*---
    ----*o*o*--
    --*o*o*o*o*
    o*o*-]o[-*o*o

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  11. We had the same... but it fell as rain!
    Merry Christmas, Ponita!
    Sxxxx

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  12. I'm a bit late - hope you will accept my excuses: All the best wishes fr You and all Yours, dear Ponita!
    How are you?

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  13. Did you fall off the world?
    Happy New Year, Ponita!

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  14. Happy New Year, Ponita and household!

    Here's wishing you all lots of happiness, good health, and much warmth!

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