VALENTINES DAY BLIZZARD AND SQUARE LOGS

Square logs

Years ago, an elderly friend of mine used to tell us 'kids' that he grew square potatoes because it was easier to stack them in his bin.  We all knew it was a tale, but images of square potatoes stacked neatly in a potato bin were conjured up in my mind.  So when I started looking for alternatives to cutting firewood, splitting it, stacking it in the shed and carrying it into the house, the idea of "square" came to the forefront again.  Voila!  I discovered wood "bricks" made from pressed sawdust.  They come in one-ton pallets, three bricks to a package and stack better than Alphonse's square potatoes ever would have.

Wishing for Spring

During this "Valentines Day Blizzard of 2015", we threw a couple extra "bricks"  on the fire and observed a very private, "Valentines Day Blizzard Celebration"--just my K-Lee, my wife and I.  The dry snow fell lightly and in our snow-globe world and we got away from everything for a few hours. It was a special time (Dare I say escape?) and we didn't have to go anywhere to enjoy it.  Our little "get away" cost us nothing... 'nada'.   When it got dark, we moved to a room where we could see the snow as it fell through the glare of our outside spotlights.  It was quite 'heady' to watch as the flakes danced their way to the ground.  It almost made us dizzy.

A 'lull' between white-outs

This morning, I opened the side door to see a four-foot drift with the door's imprint on it.  After a few minutes of shoveling, we had an opening through which K-Lee could jump a few feet to bare ground.  Yes, the wind is howling here on the hill. 

We have to go out?  Really??

The dog and I are  building up the courage to start plowing the driveways and exercise area.  This vicious northwest wind cuts through clothing and steals precious body heat. I'm sure that it cuts through K-Lee's coat as well.  That's why I think I'll let the plow truck warm up a bit before attempting to bust through the drifts.  Once the plowing is started, it becomes a war against the encroaching snow until we're done--about four hours later. 

Once we've established our beachhead, we'll come inside and resume the vigil--another "square log" on the fire, "Sunday appropriate" videos via the Roku, and an uttered prayer of thanks for our warm home.