Sweep

It's 17˚F. Lots of snow flurries yesterday - probably lake effect. No accumulation down here, but I had to sweep the car off when I finished work yesterday. Lowest temperatures here in October on record. GCFU*.

Our diagonal neighbors started re-roofing their house this week. In gale force winds and record cold and snow. This is the house with the musicians and couch surfers, where a concert was held for friends and neighbors summer before last. Lovely folks, but I worry about the house. They use their fireplace, which is a wonderful aroma, but not really good to breathe.

Part of the roof was once held up by a large tree trunk that once grew near that corner. I don't know what the story is there, and I'm hoping it doesn't mean they are fixing it up to sell it. Maybe some funds became available? It seems to be a crew doing it as a favor, since they were working on it all day Sunday, and through the night we've heard hammering.

It's a fairly large house for this area, likely built around the same time ours was†, earlier even. These days the asking price would be considerable, despite the amount of work needed on it. Large back yard and garage/workshop as well. I sincerely hope they are fixing it up to keep it, and had a windfall to pay for it all.


I've had so many people ask when we would light our fireplace, and the answer is, never. Unless there is a complete breakdown of our power system and it's the only choice to keep from freezing. I grew up with a coal furnace, and yes the heat is nice. The lung damage is not. Until my parents got the gas furnace when I was in my teens, I didn't know that having black boogers all winter wasn't normal. When we moved in here, I swept wood ash∑ from every surface, breathing that in was not what I wanted to continue. Woodsmoke smells amazing. So did Uncle Walt's pipe tobacco.

Out of my guilt-free discretionary funds (the inheritance) I am replacing the electric kettle before it gives out completely.

Check in later, there will be photos. It's too dark to make any right now.

Eleanor listens, Zeppo eats.



Cats who trust you let you be behind them, turning only their ears to indicate attention. After this photo, I put my head on her body, and she stayed relaxed. Zeppo is not at that point yet, at least not when we are not half asleep in bed. I think he's like to be, though.




*Global Climatological Fuck Up.
†1911
∑ And there was no flue, no damper, the chimney was open to the sky, no screen on top. One of the things we got fixed the first year.