Snow Sighting

We've been waiting for our first snow warning. It came this morning, across the valley and a few hundred meters higher. Probably a week or so before we get it.

Adds a bit of urgency to the W.O.O.D. gathering and B.U.R.N. cycle. It's a sunny day and a logger friend dropped by yesterday and gave me a lesson or two. Valuable stuff. He felled one tree that was leaning at least twenty degrees over the pond right back 180 degrees the other way. We have enough felled wood now for the winter and quite a few loads for my friend, Chief Joseph's, sweats. Just have to cut it up and pack it out. Maybe all done today. We've been burning wood in the small living room heater as its been getting to zero℃(32℉) at night and sometimes only 5℃(32℉) during the day.

I have been feeling a bit of a twinge in the back. Mostly because I was falling trees the hard way. But I have seen the light: use the back of the blade for the undercuts, as the weight of the chain saw is down. There is a sweat this afternoon so that will surely help any back pains. I learned most of my chainsawing techniques from a book and practice. It is interesting as to how that stacks up with an hour spent hands on with a pro. It just doesn't.

I remember a time I was learning Excel. Back in the 1.0 days I suppose. Lot's of books on it, plenty of practice. Then I needed to learn some advanced stuff and hired a pro to tutor me for half a day. He came to my house and in half a day I was miles ahead of where I had been. Sure it was expensive, but adding up the time it would have taken me to learn it on my own, it was a clear bargain.

I don't want to fall under the illusion that because something hasn't killed me so far I must be doing it right. I see a lot of drivers on the roads that apparently subscribe to that theory. They have learned their driving skills from playing grand theft auto. Usually have the new driver "N" turned sideways to a "Z". But the psychology behind driving is enough for a whole new post. Don't get me started..

As much as my Ego abhors four letter words ( like "help") it is astonishing what the payoff is when I don't follow its advice.

Comments

Yeoman said…
We had our second snowstorm last night.

It's funny how that works. We're considerably to the south of you, but it generally is colder here than the location we're in. This year it has been notably cool, and was all summer long.
Art Blomquist said…
Yeoman, what's your altitude? Were at 2900 feet here. I guess the other thing that might be important is distance to the nearest ocean. The pacific is 550 klicks West of us. It does tend to moderate the weather. 500 klicks North East of us there into winter already.

The cool summer seems to have been a feature everywhere West of the Prairies.
Yeoman said…
5400 Feet.
Art Blomquist said…
5400 feet will do it. Your a member of the higher than a mile club!
Yeoman said…
More snow last night too.
Yeoman said…
Our summer pasture is about 7400 feet high. Now any cows that hid on our way out will be begging to come down.

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