We Survived the Blizzard

We Survived the Blizzard!
The Farm Report 11-26-2018

Whew! We survived the Blizzard of November 2018! And let me tell you, it was a 'doozey.'  

I actually felt pretty smug because this blizzard was predicted. The Saturday before it hit, it was in the 50'sF and I was in the woods cutting fire wood. Actually, I cut 3 loads with Henry Ford's help and hauled them down to the outdoor boiler. So with a big fire roaring, and 800 gallons of water heated to nearly boiling, I felt I was ready to go in and sit out a real blizzard. 

Much like a hurricane, this storm was predictable. Though it was in the high 50'sF all day Saturday, the skies were dark and ominous. The light was low and there was zero wind - which is unheard of at Oakdale Farm. Eeeerie. This pic was taken before 4:00pm, when it should have been much lighter out. Lows that night were supposed to be in the teens F. I had 14F the next morning.

There is something about a storm. It puts you on edge. You're looking to the north here, and it is as if you could see the trouble if only the trees would duck down for just a minute. You can almost 'feel' the evil spirits swirling. 

The morning after the storm, things looked pretty typical. During the night, the winds howled out loud. The house creaked and begged for the 50 mph winds and horizontal snows to let up. We had rain to start with, so there was ice underneath it all, too. My compost bale has never had a chance to begin heating up. Patience, Tim! It will cook eventually. It always does. 

The winds blew over my 'shade house' there in the distance. I use this little structure to harden off new plants and to keep house plants outside during the summer. They mostly don't like full bright light, so the shade and shelter of this house helps them thrive. Rebuilding committee needed! 

So this is what I thought I would be reporting on for this issue. This is the 17th year I am heating the house with this outdoor wood burning boiler. The fire is in the little green house, which is actually a 400 gallon water tank with a fire box inside it. The nearly boiling water is pumped underground up to the house and then through the radiators - and then back again to the boiler for more heat. (OK, so there is also a propane boiler IN the house which can heat the water too - if I get lazy and don't burn wood out here. I love burning wood though!) The house was originally heated with wood but the original wood boiler is long since gone. There is another 400 gallons of water up there. That makes 800 gallons in all, joined into one system. That much hot water will keep me warm quite a while.

How do I get the wood to the boiler? Well, you've gotta have some equipment! Henry Ford is one of my favs. I built this hauler box to mount on the 3-point hitch behind. I can raise and lower it at will - almost effortlessly. And yes, that is two! chainsaws in their custom built holders. You need to carry two so you can be sure you'll have ONE which will work. 

On the front end, I built a carrying box that mounts to a front hitch I welded on. The saws, oil, gas and 'cuss box' are all inside that. If you don't know what a cuss box is, then you've never had to do field repairs and maintenance. You're blessed.

Sometimes I go to the woods and cut and split up there. Other times, I cut a log and drag it back to the boiler to link it up. Here, I'm using a cable to pull the log across the field.  I try to have some logs dragged in near the boiler for my winter 'savings account'.  I usually try to wait until the ground is frozen so I don't make tracks.

See that shiny sharp chain tooth? The secret to success cutting wood - or I suppose anything else for that matter - is SHARP tools. I like my chains razor sharp. I want to see wood chips when I cut, not sawdust! I sharpen frequently, so I cuss less often. 

There are some other wood cutting tools you need to know about if you decide you want to be a lumberjack and heat your house with wood. The tongs are a big help when I lift logs to drag them. I have another tool bar that fits on Emmie's 3-point hitch that uses these tongs. (Emmie, as you'll recall, is my 1947 Farmall M. It is a bulldog of a tractor and will pull anything I need pulling.) 

The next up are some hand tools. What we have here is a 'hookaroon' and a 'pickaroon'. They help me move logs and log sections around without so much bending over and gnashing of teeth - or pinching of fingers! 

This pickaroon  is my homemade version. I like to make my own tools, and this is one of 'em. Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. The day I needed this tool, I just happened to have a broken maul handle (Swing and a miss!) and a bolt. A little brazing and some grinding, and presto! I didn't have to spend an extra $50 bucks.

This is a hookaroon I did spend actual cash on. It is heavier, like an ax, and can actually stick into the end of a cut log section. The pickaroon is light, and I use it to mostly stand up log sections and pitch them into the hauler. It works like an old fashioned biblical sling. The hookaroon is a beast. I wham it into a log, and like magic, the log has a handle on it. 

The hookaroon handle sticks enough to let me lift the log up into the boiler. Then, with a smooth 'all in the wrist' action, it comes off and leaves the log on the fire. 

Fire! This, after all is said and done, is what we're really after. Nothing better than building a nice fire, closing the door, and heading for the nice warm house knowing we're set for another day - or two. All that hot water will heat us for a long time. 

Wait, you can't go to the house though until the chickens are fed and watered. To her surprise, Zoey found out that snow drifts are not easily seen until you're butt deep in 'em. Especially if you're almost 15 and have cataracts. I'm OK though! Hope you are, too. And if I leave you singing the Monty Python 'Lumberjack Song' well, we'll both enjoy the laugh.