High winds

Yesterday's high winds and subzero cold took down the grid and Internet. Trees don't sway much when frozen solid. They snap and take down power and communication lines. My lovely wife and I huddled by the woodstove and played cards. Fortunately there was enough power in my solar electric system to keep the lights on.

This morning was a mixed blessing. The grid and Internet were back, but my water was frozen. I've been avoiding using the big woodstove in my basement as it's a fuel hog. However, it's time to feed the beast and thaw the water.

Right now there are two woodstoves going and an electric heater warming my feet. After putting the trash out I've kept my winter jacket on as it's still pretty cold in the house.

We are making progress towards heading south. Yesterday I was able to register my van and the utility trailer my new little boat is on. Registering the trailer took some doing. It hadn't been on the road since 2006 and the registration was no where to be found. Even with the plate and VIN numbers, it didn't show up in the system. Then the town clerk had the bright idea to check if it had been registered in my wife's name. Sure enough. We used to pull the trailer behind the car that was registered in my wife's name, so we probably just registered the trailer at the same time.

The garage was unable to schedule a state inspection and oil change until Thursday morning, so that''s when we'll head out -unless something else unexpected happens.

-Sixbears