Category: Life

Four Wheeling

I view 4WD rather like having seat belts in the car: something I like having, but would much rather never use. Today, since I had ordered a much needed 30 bales of hay from our supplier, I decided I should drive the Subaru Forrester out to the barn under the theory that if the Subaru could get there, a ton truck with 4WD should have no trouble. With a little digging I got the Subaru there and back again several times. (I wonder if any of the neighbors noticed me driving back and forth to the barn.) I even enjoyed skidding through some of the drifts. An hour later, the hay supplier showed up and delivered the hay without difficulty.

I had errands in town, and arranged to have lunch with a friend. As I drove south on I-25, the steering wheel started to vibrate. Even though I hadn’t hit anything during my “off-road” experience, I thought maybe I had knocked a wheel off balance. Fortunately, my friend was able to pick me up at Tire World, which was apparently doing a land rush business. They were so busy that I was astonished to get a call a little past 5, saying that my car was ready. Evidently some snow had stuck inside to the wheels, causing them to seem off-balance. Oh well, the car needed an oil change anyway.

I am thrilled to have it back because there is a forecast of another significant winter storm for Colorado. I really feel sorry for those people who may catch it coming and going on their holiday travel plans.

Chez Nous

December 23, 2006 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

I took this early this morning on my way home from grocery shopping. (I wanted to avoid the madding crowds.) In a process very similar to one of solving one of those sliding tile puzzles, we managed to free the truck and Subaru with minimal digging. (This process was helped by the truck’s 4WD and the Subaru’s AWD.) Since I had neglected to unhook the trailer from the truck, we had to park it where we could instead of its normal slot. Although at times I dislike how close our house it to the road, the short driveway with its southern exposure is great when we get a lot of snow. If you look at the high resolution image, you can see trailer, truck, house, barns and even the horses standing at the gate waiting for room service.

Snowbound

Jack is entertaining himself by making Beer Bread. I am entertaining myself by watching neighbors dig out the truck that is stuck in the same place vehicles always get stuck after a major snowstorm. Each storm, at least one neighbor attempts to prove that 4WD means you shouldn’t have to wait for the county snow plow. Since I25 (about 2.5 miles away) is not yet open, I have no idea of where they were going with the truck.

Dubious Mia

Taken on December 21, 2006.

Mia did not believe that I was serious about her leaving the mudroom this morning. After several attempts to call her, in which she turned around and went back inside, I had to put a leash on her and lead her to a part of the dog run which had been scoured bare by the winds. Fortunately, Lody loves to gambol in the snow, so I didn’t have to coax her out. Then, I went back inside and watched Magic and Rags playing by the barn through the bedroom window. It would have been a lot more charming if I hadn’t been worried about elderly horses fooling around like foals in dangerous conditions.

And it is still snowing.

Blizzard

I went to the mudroom door to take a photo of the blizzard in process, and decided blizzards are not good subjects for photography. Right now I would be taking a photo of what isn’t there: views of the neighbors’ houses. I can’t see them, and at times can barely see our own outbuildings. The horses seem to feel that it is a good day to stay inside of the barn, instead of their normal snow storm behavior of huddling outside, tails to the wind, as if they had no shelter. I am sure they do this to make me crazy.

El Paso County seems to have pretty much shut down for the duration of the storm, aided by the fact that many schools were already taking winter break. Jack decided to work from home and the dogs are curled up in their beds, so all is right with my little corner of Colorado.