27 November 2009 There but for elevation go you and I

At 2200 last night, while dragging the dog and adding a light to the well filter enclosure against a predicted 31°F low, I watched snowflakes dance in and out of my sight. Granted they were very scattered and would not have been noticeable save for my headlamp, but they were present.


Today dawned windy, chilly, and with dry leaf-covered ground. When Mike and I reached our half-way point and began the climb back up the valley the clouds parted a bit and we were able to see snow on the ridges and high shoulders. At about 0.2 miles from our drive, this was the view.

Using telephoto and digital zoom from the same spot reveals this.

What a difference about 1500 feet of elevation makes. And 3000 makes even more.

It has been cold and blustery all day. It is a great day to stay home.

I was asked to participate in an on-line poll about holiday shopping this morning. I take great pleasure in knowing that I skew the results on these polls even by the smallest amount. The house remains a football-free zone, and a basket-ball free zone.

Like every other household I can picture, we will sup on left-over’s tonight.

Last night we fired up the wood stove. This stove has served us well for two years and was pronounced safe and clean by sweeps last month. It lit well, warmed up nicely. When I closed the damper, instead of the low rumble of recirculation I expected, I hear no change in sound and noticed puffs of smoke at the front and side door. Opening the damper stopped the smokiness but allowed the stove to get hotter than it should. We’d discussed the door gaskets with the sweeps and they felt that the existing gaskets would serve another year. Apparently that was not the best assessment.

Fortunately I had squirreled away a package of gasket cord and cement. So after today’s hike with Mike I put on knee pads and ripped out the existing gaskets. I’d feel better about the replacements if I’d had more cement. The cement came in a tube similar in size to a large toothpaste tube and is extremely thick and grainy. The tube is designed like a caulking compound tube and the repairman is supposed to coax a bead of cement into the gasket channel before convincing the gasket cord to adhere to the door. As with caulk, I wound up applying it digitally. I left the doors open for drying purposes. Nothing has fallen out of its position so we may have a working stove. I’m torn between trying it tonight and waiting until tomorrow.

A fast trip to the wood pile indicates that much of this year’s last purchase of wood may be a bit longer and thicker than we like. December promises to include work with splitter and chain saw.

That’s pretty much all the news from Cassi Creek, where tomorrow will be another day.