It Begins Again

December 28, 2006 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

I couldn’t believe how much had accumulated when I got home from shopping for a few groceries this morning.

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.